From cell phones to social media, computer science is a part of your daily life. Everything from traffic lights to medical devices requires both computer hardware and software these days. Creative problem solvers are using computer science to tackle social problems, improve agriculture, make great entertainment, and start exciting new companies. What could you create and innovate with a bit of tinkering and programming? Try your hand at one of these computer science projects to learn more about computers, program something interesting, or learn how to defend the cyber world. Whether you already know something about programming and computers or not, we have just the right project for you.
Did you know that you can tell how much information is on a CD-R without even using a computer? Find out how in this "reflective" experiment.
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Have you ever played a computer game in which a cartoon character, like a dog or a cat, moves or turns when you click on it? Have you ever wondered how characters know how far to move or how far to turn? In this computer science project, you will learn how with a simple (and free) program called Scratch, which will let you write your own computer program that tells a cartoon kitty how to draw shapes.
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How fast are computers? How quickly do you think they can do 100 million arithmetic problems? Try this science project to discover an easy way to measure how fast computers have become and whether or not your computer is a math whiz.
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CompSci_p011
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Requires computer with web and Internet access. Optional procedures require C compiler or Python 3.
Have you ever played a game that tested the steadiness of your hands? Operation® is a popular board game that requires you to perform "surgery" without bumping a tool against the edges of the game. There are also popular amusement park or carnival games where you try to move a metal loop along a wavy metal wire without letting the two touch. You can build your own version of these games using the
Raspberry Pi Projects Kit.
Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project…
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When you delete a file, by accident or on purpose, is the information really gone? Can you get it back? If you accidentally deleted your five-page report for school, you are hoping it is not gone. On the other hand, if you do not want someone to get their hands on the goofy and unflattering pictures you and your best friend took while staying up late the other night, you probably hope it is gone for good! It might be nice to know for sure either way. Try this project to find out.
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CompSci_p061
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
You should already be comfortable using a computer.
Material Availability
Requires a computer with a hard-disk drive and an adult helper who is comfortable using the computer.
When you were little, did you ever make "music" in your kitchen by banging kitchen utensils on pots and pans? What if you could actually take those kitchen implements now, and play them with different sound effects? In this project, you can convert basic kitchen utensils into your own electronic drum set using the
Raspberry Pi Projects Kit.
Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like:
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Lights and music make a great combination! Getting sound and lights to complement each other just right helps set the mood for everything from DJ parties and concerts, to theater shows, the circus, and ballet performances. You can put together your own lights and music show using the
Raspberry Pi Projects Kit.
Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like:
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Have you ever suffered from poor Wi-Fi reception for your smartphone, tablet, or laptop? Certain materials can actually block a Wi-Fi signal; do you think that could be part of your problem? In this science project, you will do an experiment to find out which materials cause the biggest drop in signal strength from a wireless router.
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CompSci_p047
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- Less Details
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
This science project requires a wireless router and a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a Wi-Fi connection. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
