High School, Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (Page 2)

Feeding Fido & Fluffy: Designing an Automatic Pet Feeder

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

An overnight trip to the beach or a quick two-day vacation can be lots of fun. What do you do to prepare? Pack your clothes, get sunscreen lotion, and borrow a book from the library. But wait! Who is going to feed your dog or cat? It would be irresponsible to let them go hungry. And you can't just leave food out, because it can get stale and start to grow bacteria, which can cause your pet to get sick. Also, it is not a good idea to leave bowls of food out because a pet might overeat, which is… Read more

Applying Hooke's Law: Make Your Own Spring Scale

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Hooke's law says that the opposing force of a spring is directly proportional to the amount by which the spring is stretched. How accurately Hooke's law describe the behavior of real springs? Can springs be used to make accurate scales for weighing objects? Spring into action and find out for yourself with this project. 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

Give Yourself a Lift: Lightening the Load with Pulleys

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Before the Industrial Age, people relied on muscle power for moving and lifting heavy objects. Here's a project that shows you how you can use your head to make heavy lifting easier on your muscles–and your back! Read more

Measuring Vibrational Frequency with Light

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Strike a key on the piano, and you hear the string vibrating. Just about any object vibrates when it's knocked, but how much and how fast? What properties of the material affect the way it vibrates? This project helps you find out. You'll build a simple light-sensing circuit for measuring the frequency of vibrating springs. Read more

Slippery Slopes and Sticking Surfaces: Explore the Forces of Friction

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Whoopee! No matter what age, who doesn't like flying down the slides at parks and pools? In this experiment, you might be surprised what you can learn about the fascinating forces of friction while sliding down (or sticking to) those fun, slippery slopes. Caution: only speed demons need apply for this activity. Read more

The Turn of the Screw

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How much force is required to advance a lag bolt (large wood screw with a hex-shaped head) into a piece of wood? You can measure the force by using a spring scale attached to the handle of ratchet. Pull on the spring scale until the bolt starts to turn, and note the required force from the spring scale. There are many potential experiments you could try. Think about answering the following questions: How does the force change as the bolt advances deeper into the wood? Why? How does the… Read more

High School, Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (17 results)

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