Middle School, Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (Page 2)

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

How do you practice landing a spacecraft on another planet or docking it with a space station? With a spacecraft motion simulator here on Earth! In this engineering project, you will design and build your own cable-driven spacecraft motion simulator that lets you move a model spacecraft around in three-dimensional space. Read more

Rubber Band Elasticity and Temperature

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. What do you think will happen to the elasticity (stretchiness) of a rubber band when it is heated or cooled to various temperatures? 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

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

Click a Button Without Your Hands: Design a Puff Switch

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered how you could push a button without using your hands? How would you type on a computer or play a video game? You could use a puff switch - an electronic switch activated by blowing into a straw. This type of assistive device can help users with limited mobility or physical disabilities do everything from using a computer to steering a wheelchair. In this project, you will design, build, and test a puff switch that is connected to a tiny programmable board that you can use… Read more

MrBeast "Protect the Prize" Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

MrBeast, the world's most famous YouTuber, has a series of challenge videos where he asks a contestant to protect some valuable prize - like a pile of money or an expensive car - from a series of attacks like explosions, giant fireballs launched from catapults, or even getting hit by a train! Contestants often have only 24 hours to build something to protect their prize, which presents a very interesting engineering challenge. Given limited time and access to materials, how can you best protect… Read more

Gears-Go-Round!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Music boxes, bicycles, and clocks all have one thing in common: GEARS! You might say that gears make the world turn, since they are in so many mechanical instruments. How do they work and how do you know which gears to use? Find out in this simple experiment. Read more

The Chills and Thrills of Roller-Coaster Hills

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Think it's a good idea to stream music, watch videos, or check social media while doing homework? Are you a thrill-seeker? Well, this is the science fair project for you! What makes a ride so thrilling that people want to ride it over and over again even though it scares them? Is it the speed, the twists and turns, the vertical drops? In this science fair project, you will build and use an accelerometer to figure out what makes a roller-coaster ride worth standing in line for. Oh, and if Mom… Read more

The Power of Your Eyes: How Vision Affects Balance

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Staying balanced might feel simple, but there’s so much more involved than you would think! The way your body balances is actually the result of several body systems working together. Your muscles and joints provide feedback (proprioception) about where your body is in space, your inner ear senses movement and position, and your eyes give you important visual cues about your surroundings. Vision is especially important because it helps your brain judge where you are in relation to the… Read more

Mix It Up: Transferring Heat by Convection in a Tank

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Big, puffy, cotton-like clouds, and the bubbles in a pot of boiling water may not seem like they have much in common, but they do—both are formed by a heat-transfer process called convection. Warmed gases and liquids rise, while cooler ones fall, creating currents and mixing things up. Whether making processed foods in a factory or making plastic or metal parts, knowing how to mix up a big tank of hot and cold liquids or gases quickly is important. Engineers must rely on experimentation… Read more

Middle School, Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (36 results)

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