Eighth Grade, Energy & Power Science Projects (22 results)
Whether you are working, studying, or being entertained, much of our daily routines rely on being plugged-in. You probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about where all that power comes from, but someone has to! Figuring out the best ways to produce energy is a big job that is growing along with the world's population. Energy production is a complex topic with debates about whether to invest in fossil fuels or clean renewable energies like solar, wind, water, and geothermal. Take a first-hand look at some of the problems and challenges scientists and engineers are tackling as they look at making and storing energy.
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Do you want to build a solar-powered car? How about enter it in a competition and race it against other people's designs? If so, this is the project for you! These instructions will show you how to get started building a solar-powered car that you can enter in a science or engineering fair. No experience needed.
If you want, you can even compete in the Junior Solar Sprint, a regional competition for solar-powered cars. Get more information about your
regional competition.
Are you a…
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Here is a project that uses direct solar power, gathering the sun's rays for heating/sterilizing water or cooking. It is a low-cost technology that seems to have everything going for it. Does it work? Can you find ways to improve it? Find out with this project.
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Solar cells are popping up on rooftops everywhere these days and are a model for clean, renewable energy.
Did you ever look at those solar panels and wonder how we can get electricity produced by solar cells
when the sun is not shining? It is a great question because solar panels do not produce electricity when
it is dark outside. One strategy to overcome this challenge is to store the energy produced by solar
cells during the day in the form of a fuel that can be used at a later time. In…
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You have probably read all about forms of alternative energy like solar and wind power. But what about human power? With the aid of a coil of wire and some magnets, you can generate electricity with nothing more than a flick of your wrist. In this project, you will build a small hand-powered electrical generator that can power a series of tiny lights. Get ready to save the planet and get some exercise at the same time!
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You might know that we are able to get renewable energy from the Sun, the wind, and water, but did you know we can get renewable energy from Earth itself? The temperature inside of Earth can reach 9,000°F—that kind of heat can be used to make a lot of energy here on the surface! This source of energy is called geothermal energy and it is all about taking advantage of the heat within Earth. So try this science fair project out and find out how to use the heat that lies beneath your…
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You probably know that turning off the lights and the water, and not wasting paper are all ways to help the environment and conserve our resources. Did you know that another way is to use fuel cells? A fuel cell is a device that converts the energy in chemicals to electricity and it creates no pollution. The starting chemical does not have to be something complex — in fact you it can even be water! In this science fair project try your own hand at converting water to electricity with the…
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What can you do with a bucket of soil? You could use it to grow some beautiful plants and vegetables—or you could use it to produce electricity! Surprised about that? You actually can power electric devices with just mud! Are you curious about how this works? You need some little helpers in the soil—bacteria—that are able to turn their food sources within the soil into electricity in a device called a microbial fuel cell. But is this possible with any soil and does the soil…
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Solar cells provide a clean way of making electricity directly from sunlight. In this project you will build a simple circuit and experimental setup to investigate whether the power output of a solar cell changes with ambient temperature.
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You probably use batteries to power different devices every day, ranging from toys to TV remotes, without giving it much thought. Figure 1, below, shows some common types of batteries. Eventually the batteries will die and you have to replace them with new ones (or recharge them if they are rechargeable batteries). How much do you actually know about how batteries work? This abbreviated project idea will give you some suggestions to investigate how batteries perform in common household…
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There is a lot of energy that can be harvested from moving water. Energy can be extracted from water rushing over a waterfall and from the regular patterns of the ocean's tides. The energy that propels waves forward in the oceans can also be extracted and used. But can wave energy power plants be built anywhere there is water? In this energy science fair project, you will use ocean buoy data and mathematics to determine which locations along the coasts of the United States can sustain a wave…
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