Middle School, Sports Science Science Projects (Page 5)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You probably notice that when you carry something heavy—whether it’s a backpack filled with books, grocery bags, or a weighted vest—the way you walk changes. Your body adjusts in many ways to maintain balance, avoid fatigue, and reduce injury risk. One of these adjustments happens in your step length—that is, how far you move forward with each step. Biomechanical studies show that adding extra load (weight) often causes people to take shorter, more cautious steps. This… Read more

Skiing and Friction: How Does Ski Wax Affect the Sliding Friction of Skis?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You can model this with an ice cube sliding down a plank: how high do you need to lift the end of the plank before the ice cube starts to slide? Try this with one side plain wood and the flip side waxed wood (use paraffin wax, candle wax or ski wax). Make sure both sides are equally smooth to start with. Do at least three trials. More advanced: using what you know about the forces acting on the ice cube, derive equations to calculate the coefficient of friction for each case. Variation: chill… Read more

Tee Time: How Does Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you're an avid golfer, this might be a fun project for you. When you're setting up to tee off out on the course, how much attention do you pay to putting the tee in the ground? The height of the tee can affect both where in the swing the club makes contact and where on the clubface the ball makes contact. Are you placing your tees at the right height to get the most distance from your swing? 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

Hey Gear Heads! The Physics of Bicycle Gear Ratios

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you have a multi-speed bike, you know that you can make it easier or harder to pedal just by shifting gears. Ever wonder how that works? You can investigate this a number of ways. A basic approach is to use a selection of spools of thread (with different diameters), a board with two nails, and a rubber band. Place a spool over each nail, and put the rubber band over them. Mark the 12:00 position on each spool so that you can count revolutions. Turn one spool through a full circle and… Read more

Football: Punting

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When the punter is trying to hit the "coffin corner" (within the opposing team's 10-yard line), out of bounds, what is the best angle to kick the ball for correct distance and maximum "hang time?" (For more information on the physics involved, see: Gay, 2004, Chapters 4 and 5.) Read more

How Quickly Does a Tennis Ball Lose Its Bounce?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The rebound rating is the ratio of the height the ball bounces to, divided by the height the ball was dropped from. Use the rebound rating to measure the bounciness of new tennis balls vs. balls that have been used for 10, 20, 50, and 100 games. Another idea to explore: does it matter what type of court the ball is used on? (See: Goodstein, 1999, 63-64.) Read more

Aerodynamics of a Football

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How much difference does the spiraling motion of a well-thrown football make on the distance of the throw (compared to wobbling, or end-over-end motion of the ball)? Think of a way to reproducibly produce the desired ball motion and launch it with a constant force to find out. (For more information on the physics, see Gay, 2004.) Read more

Physics of Vibrations

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Tennis racquets, baseball bats and golf clubs all vibrate when they hit the ball. You can often feel it in your hands, particularly if you "mis-hit" the ball. You can find the point(s) on your racquet, bat or club—called the "sweet spot"—that minimize unwanted vibrations. Low-tech method: hang the racquet or bat straight up and down with a string from its handle. Lightly hold the handle with your thumb and forefinger and have a helper sharply tap the bat, strings or club face… Read more

She Shoots, She Scores! How Does Hockey Stick Flex Affect Accuracy and Speed?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

While watching an ice hockey game, have you ever wondered what differentiates a good player from a great player? For sure, the great player is athletically superior to the good player. But maybe it is a combination of athleticism and equipment. Maybe a great player knows which hockey stick is best for him or her. Hockey players can choose to play with hockey sticks with different flexibilities or "flex." In this science fair project, investigate how stick flex affects shot accuracy and speed.… Read more

Middle School, Sports Science Science Projects (54 results)

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