Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (Page 4)

Engineer a Cell Phone Stand

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Look around you. What types of objects do you see in the room? Furniture, lights, a computer, a fan, pencils, books, etc.? Where did they come from? Odds are you did not build them yourself. You or your parents probably bought them at a store. Before that, they were built in a factory somewhere. And even before that, they were probably designed by engineers. You might think of engineers when you think of complex machines like rockets or huge structures like bridges, but engineers also design… 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

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

How Shoe Tread Affects Traction

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that some shoes grip the ground better than others? The pattern and design of a shoe’s tread can affect how slippery it is on different surfaces. You can test shoes with different tread patterns—like flat, ridged, or patterned—to see which design provides the best grip. By dragging a shoe along a surface with a spring scale at a constant velocity, you can measure how much force is needed for each shoe to slide on various surfaces. With this knowledge, you… Read more

Build a Water Clock to Show the Drip, Drip, Drip of Time

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What are some of the ways we keep track of time? We have alarm clocks, wristwatches, and cell-phone clocks, to name a few. Just a few hundred years ago, our ancestors did not have any of these conveniences, yet they found ways to tell time. How? By using devices such as water clocks. In this science project, you will follow in the footsteps of early engineers and build a water clock that tracks time for three hours. Read more

Build Your Own Helio Tracker—a Self-powered Mechanical Sunflower that Turns with the Sun

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The amount of energy produced by most photovoltaic (solar) panels is limited, due to their immobility. However, when photovoltaic panels track the movement of the Sun, their efficiency increases significantly. This can be done with computers and sophisticated electronics, but for rural or wilderness settings, a "low-tech" sun tracker would be beneficial. A solution exists in nature: the sunflower. The challenge in this science fair project is to design and build a device that imitates the… Read more

Less Cowbell! The Unconstrained Truth About Constrained-Layer Damping

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Noise is everywhere. From the clanking of a cowbell to the din of the lunchroom, we are surrounded by noise. Sometimes there's no way to get away from it, but there is a way to deal with it—constrained-layer damping. By simply creating a layered sandwich of somewhat flexible materials, what was once a noisy cowbell can become a "noise blanket." This science fair project shows you how to transform a noisy piece of metal into a sound-muffling constrained-layer damper. You'll record the… Read more

What's the Best Way to Disable a Drone?

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Drones are small, fast, and maneuverable - this can make them very hard to knock down! Check out this Mark Rober video where he explores both how professional defense companies and some backyard YouTube engineers tackle the problem of knocking drones out of the sky. Can you take this engineering challenge on yourself? What methods can you devise to take down a drone? Which one works the best? Drones can be expensive, and you probably do not want to risk damaging a $1,000 drone for your science… Read more

Understand Shock Levels and Packaging Principles

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you open up your presents on your birthday, you probably don't spend a lot of time admiring the wrapping—you'd much rather see what's inside. It can be the same way with the packaging that products come in, but packaging is important for protecting the things we buy as they make their way from the factory to our homes. How much shock force is produced when a box gets dropped accidentally? What kinds of materials work best to protect products from damage? This project can show you… Read more

How Does Spark Plug Gap Affect Engine Performance?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you know what a spark plug is? Have you ever replaced an old, dirty, or worn out spark plug in an engine? These small parts are crucial to the operation of internal combustion engines. In this science project, you will find out how "gapping" a spark plug affects engine performance. Can you get more power or better fuel economy out of your engine by changing the spark plug gap? Try this project and find out! Read more

Mechanical Engineering Science Projects (53 results)

Explore Our Science Videos