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Experiment with Projectiles Science Projects (24 results)

Explore the mechanics of projectiles, objects that are in motion and are only encountering the force of gravity. As part of a hands-on experiment, throw, launch, kick, or drop an object to turn it into a projectile and measure what happens.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Rockets
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Watching a spacecraft launch is an amazing experience. It is thrilling to see it lift off and escape Earth's gravity. Did you know that it takes a chemical reaction to get a spacecraft into space? Every time you see a one blast off, you are watching chemistry at work. In this chemistry science fair project, you will also get to blast an object into the air. You will not be using the same fuel that NASA uses for the rockets that launch their spacecrafts; instead, you will use two simple… Read more
Bottle Rocket Blast Off!
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
3... 2... 1... 0— blastoff! In this science project, you will use a bottle rocket launcher to launch your own bottle rocket. You will load it with water and pressurized air, make several launches, and find out what makes your rocket soar the highest. Read more
The Physics of Catapult Projectile Motion
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
In physics class, you have probably rolled your eyes at some point after being assigned a "projectile motion" homework problem where you use equations to predict how a ball will move through the air. This experiment will show you just how fun that problem can be by using a real catapult to launch a ball and videotaping it as it flies along its path. Then, you will analyze the video and compare it to what the equations predicted. If you have ever wondered if those equations in your physics… Read more
Bombs Away! A Ping Pong Catapult
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
If you were in a raiding army in the Middle Ages, a catapult would come in mighty handy for taking down castle walls. But only if you could aim it reliably! With this science project, you will try your hand at catapult technology. Using a rubber-band-powered catapult you will send ping pong balls flying through the air. The catapult's design makes it easy to measure and repeat how hard the ball is launched and its direction, so you can find the right catapult settings to hit the target reliably. Read more
Rocket Science: How High Can You Send a Payload?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Rockets are definitively an engineering challenge. These amazing gravity-defying machines have lifted test material, people, and even animals into space. Feel like building one yourself? In this science project, you will transform a water bottle into an aerodynamic bottle rocket with two compartments, one for the fuel and one for a payload. You will then test how well it performs when lifting mass vertically up into the air. Ready, set, soar! Read more
Effect of Trebuchet Arm Length or Counterweight Mass on Projectile Distance
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
Before cannons widely replaced them, siege engines were often used by armies to throw large stones and other projectiles to break down castle walls. One of the most advanced siege engines used in the Middle Ages was the trebuchet, which used a large counterweight to store energy to launch a payload, or projectile. The horizontal distance the payload would travel is called the trebuchet's range. Figure 1, below, shows a modern reconstruction of a trebuchet. The range of a trebuchet has… Read more
Use a Catapult to Storm Castle Walls
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
You may have seen movies or read books where armies in medieval times catapulted large rocks or other objects at castles (or each other!). These armies used different types of catapults to accomplish different goals — for example, launching things over or into castle walls to knock them down. In this experiment, you will use a ping-pong ball catapult to lay siege to a "castle" and find the right settings to hit your targets. Read more
Solid Motor Rocket Propulsion
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
What does it take to launch a robot to Mars or for a satellite to explore our outer solar system? In this project you will explore the physics of a rocket as you predict its performance, launch it, and measure the actual results. This is rocket science! Read more
How Far Can You Throw (or Kick) a Ball?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Have you ever seen a "Hail Mary" football pass, where the quarterback tries to throw the ball as far as possible to reach the end zone and score a touchdown? Or a last second game tying soccer goal from midfield? How far the ball will go does not just depend on how hard a player throws or kicks it; it also depends on the angle at which the player launches the ball. In this sports science project, you will investigate how launch angle affects the distance that a ball travels by filming… Read more
Rubber Bands for Energy
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
If you have ever been shot with a rubber band then you know it has energy in it, enough energy to smack you in the arm and cause a sting! But just how much energy does a rubber band have? In this experiment you will find out how the stretching of a rubber band affects the amount of energy that springs out of it. Read more
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