High School, Physics Science Projects (Page 3)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever dropped something and wondered how fast it was moving while falling? If it was something fragile, like a cell phone, you might not have been thinking about this at the time — you may have been too busy trying to grab the phone! But you probably wanted to find out just how hard it hit the ground afterwards. We know that gravity forces an object to fall, but how does this affect how quickly something falls and how hard it hits the ground? For example, did the phone move faster… Read more

Build an 'Impossible' Wind-Powered Car

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Is it possible for an entirely wind-powered vehicle to travel directly downwind faster than the wind? This might seem counterintuitive or like it would violate the law of conservation of energy. After all, any good scientist knows that perpetual motion machines are impossible. However, as demonstrated by YouTubers Rick Cavallaro, Derek Muller (Veritasium), and Xyla Foxlin, you can take advantage of some tricky physics to make this vehicle work. Can you build—or even improve—your own… Read more

Measuring Sugar Content of a Liquid with a Laser Pointer

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that you can figure out how much sugar is in a liquid without ever tasting it? In this science fair project, you will learn how to measure the concentration of sugar dissolved in a liquid by using a laser pointer, a hollow prism, and some physics. You will discover how refraction, or the bending of light, is the key to measuring the sugar content of a liquid with a laser pointer. Read more

A Model of Gravity in Our Solar System

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Why do the planets orbit the sun without flying off into space? Do they move in perfect circles or do their orbits take a different shape? And how could you possibly do a science project about any of this—you can't do an experiment with the planets! However, you can build a model of our solar system that demonstrates the concept of gravity, using balls of different sizes to represent the sun and planets. Watch the summary video for an excellent introduction to the model. Think about how… 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

See Air Currents with Shadowgraphs and Schlieren Images

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered what the air currents look like around a candle? What about cold air flowing around an ice cube, or warm air rising from your hand? What about when you sneeze? We are surrounded by air currents all the time, but these subtle movements are completely invisible to the human eye. In this science project, you will take advantage of small changes in air density to make air currents visible in regular photographs and videos, using techniques called shadowgraphy and schlieren… Read more

High-Speed Magnets: Exploring Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Safety Notes about Neodymium Magnets: Neodymium magnets are very strong. Adult supervision is recommended when using them. Be careful not to drop the magnets, and do not let them slam together or fall. They may pinch your fingers, crack, or shatter. Keep magnets away from small children, pets, credit cards, and pacemakers. In the Science Buddies project Human-Powered Energy, you can learn about the basics of magnetic induction, or how moving magnets can be used to generate an… Read more

Make a Model Rocket Land Vertically

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are dramatically lowering the cost of space flight by designing reusable rocket boosters that land back on Earth. Getting a rocket to land vertically without any damage - and without using a parachute to slow it down - is quite a tricky physics problem! In this project you will modify your own model rocket so it can land vertically. Read more

Ion Thruster: Build an Ion Wind Rotor

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Ion thrusters, also called ion engines (Figure 1), are a type of electrically-powered spacecraft propulsion. While they provide very low thrusts (and thus low accelerations), they can do so for very long periods of time using a very small amount of fuel. So, while not appropriate for escaping Earth's gravity like chemical rockets which are less efficient but generate higher thrusts, they are useful for deep-space probes or making small adjustments to satellite orbits. You can read more about… Read more

Frequency-Dependent Sound Absorption

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Want to start a garage band, but Mom or Dad won't let you because it will make too much noise? This is a good project for someone who is interested in acoustics and likes to build things. Who knows, it might help you figure out how to make everyone happy. Read more

High School, Physics Science Projects (53 results)

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