Physics Science Projects (Page 5)

Investigate the 'Death' of an Orange: How is Rate of Heat Loss Based on the Surrounding Temperature?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Imagine that you are a detective investigating a murder. You have a body that was found in a swimming pool, and someone reported hearing an argument near the pool at 10:00 PM the night before. Your first question might be "Was this person killed around 10:00 PM last night, or at some other time?" One way to answer this question is to measure the internal temperature of the body. The longer ago the killing occurred, the colder the body. But can you assign a specific time of death to a specific… Read more

Investigate the Motion of a Pendulum

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Swing me higher, Mommy, higher!" Kids love to ride the swings at the playground. The back-and-forth motion of a swing demonstrates the physics of a pendulum. In this experiment, you will investigate the factors that affect the speed and duration of a pendulum's swing, also called an oscillating motion. You can even use your phone and a sensor app to record your pendulum's movement and determine its period of oscillation. Read more

Investigating the 'Mpemba Effect': Can Hot Water Freeze Faster than Cold Water?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This physics project seems like it should have an easy answer. Instead, it turns out to be a great illustration of why it is important to base scientific conclusions on the outcome of controlled experiments. Things don't always turn out as we expect! 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

Is your Physics Textbook Lying? Linear & Nonlinear Springs

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Spoiler alert: Your physics textbook might contain an inaccurate equation. Are you shocked? Let us explain — many questions in your physics textbooks are simplifications of how things behave in the real world. For example, in physics textbooks, springs are usually modeled with the equation Force = stiffness x displacement: Equation 1: [Please enable JavaScript to view equation] F is… Read more

Kaleidoscope Science

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

A kaleidoscope is a fun toy that creates amazing images when you look into it. Wouldn't it be fun to create those images yourself? Check out this project to learn how to build your own kaleidoscope and to learn how the inside of a kaleidoscope works. Then you can create and adjust your own amazing, colorful images! Read more

Levitating Magnets: Floating Isn't Just for Magicians

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a magician float an object in the air? If so, you might think that levitation (making things float) is just a magic trick, but the truth is you can use an invisible physical force to levitate a magnet! Try this science project to find out how. 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

Making A Candy Waterfall: Can Solids Flow Like Liquids?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do sand, Skittles, and cereal have in common? They are all granular materials, which means they are made up of solid particles, but they can actually flow like liquid! Imagine pouring the sand out of a bucket or pouring the cereal out of a box— a lot like pouring water, right? In this physics science project, you will investigate how the size of granular materials affect how they flow. Read more

Marble Roller Coaster: Converting Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you'd like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides, then this project is for you. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much the marble's potential energy at the beginning of the track is converted to kinetic energy at various points along the track. Read more

Physics Science Projects (100 results)

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