Middle School, Sports Science Science Projects (Page 2)

Heart Health: How Does Heart Rate Change with Exercise?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Your heart starts beating before you are born and keeps right on going through your whole life. Over an average lifetime, the human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times. Keeping your heart healthy means eating right, not smoking, and getting regular exercise. Which of your favorite physical activities give your heart the best workout and help keep it fit? In this science project, you will use a smartphone equipped with a sensor app to visualize your heart rate and find out which… Read more

Basketball Physics: Where Does a Bouncing Ball's Energy Go?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that when you drop a basketball, its bounce does not reach the height you dropped it from? Why is that? When a basketball bounces, such as on a basketball court, its bounce actually loses momentum by transferring energy elsewhere. This means that to dribble the basketball, players must continually replace the transferred energy by pushing down on the ball. But what happens to the "lost" energy? As we know from physics, energy is not really lost, it just changes form. One… Read more

How Far Can You Throw (or Kick) a Ball?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a "Hail Mary" football pass, where the quarterback tries to throw the ball as far as possible to reach the end zone and score a touchdown? Or a last second game tying soccer goal from midfield? How far the ball will go does not just depend on how hard a player throws or kicks it; it also depends on the angle at which the player launches the ball. In this sports science project, you will investigate how launch angle affects the distance that a ball travels by filming… Read more

The Physics of Martial Arts

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Ay Yaah!" echoes across the room while a loud "thud" signals a powerful kick striking the kick bag. Sound familiar? If the discipline, precision, and power of martial arts is your bag, try this project out for size. You won't be sparring with any opponent other than a swinging kick bag, but you'll learn a few powerful lessons about the physics of efficient kicking. No black belts required; just bring your best form and work up a little sweat while you use your feet to do fun science. Read more

Basketball: Will You Bank the Shot?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You are right next to the basket and someone passes you the ball. Will you go for a direct shot or will you use the backboard and take a bank shot at the basket? Would different positions on the court give you a higher chance of making a shot using the backboard than others, even when keeping the distance from the hoop the same? In this science project, you will build a scale model and test different positions on the court to determine if one results in a better chance of making a bank shot… Read more

Soccer: Geometry of Goal-Scoring

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Block off one-third of a soccer net with a cone, 5-gallon bucket or some other suitable object. Shoot into the smaller side from a set distance, but systematically varying the angle to the goal line. Take enough shots at each angle to get a reliable sample. How does success vary with angle? For a basic project: How do you think your success rate will vary with angle? Draw a conclusion from your experimental results. A bar graph showing success rate at different angles can help to… Read more

How High Can You Throw a Baseball? A Tennis Ball? A Football? A Golf Ball?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How high can you throw different types of balls, like a golf ball, a basketball, and a football? Would one of them go higher than the others? Do factors like mass, shape, and volume influence the final height? You can measure the approximate maximum height a thrown ball reaches by measuring the time it spends in the air. To do this project, you'll need at least one ball and a helper with a stopwatch. Your helper should start timing just as you release the ball, and stop right when the ball… Read more

Field Goal! The Science Behind a Perfect Football Kick

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that throwing, kicking, and punting a football all involve the science of projectile motion? A star NFL® quarterback, kicker, and punter each need to have a very good understanding of how a football moves through the air in order to help them win games. In this science project, you will set up a rubber band-powered catapult to represent a field goal kicker, and study how changing the distance from the goalposts affects how hard it is to accurately kick a field goal. Read more

Can Visualization Improve Your Sports Performance?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that athletes use visualization of sports tasks to score the winning shot in sporting games? Check out how much visualization impacts your precision in sports with this science project idea. Read more

The Biomechanics of Pitching

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do Nolan Ryan, Mark Wohlers, Armando Benitez, and Roger Clemens have in common? These men are all major league baseball pitchers who have pitched baseballs at 100 miles per hour or greater! What does it take to throw a baseball this fast? Does it come down to having the biggest muscles? Can a ball thrown this fast also be accurate? In this sports science fair project, you will learn about the biomechanics of pitching. Investigate how body position and physics interact to produce fast… Read more

Middle School, Sports Science Science Projects (54 results)

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