Physical Science Projects

Science projects for all grades.

Starting a Science Project

What Makes A Good Science Project?

Some advice from a science fair judge

The Parts of a Science Project

The idea behind a science project is to discover "what happens if." What happens to one thing if you change something else?

Science Fair Projects: Understanding and Using the Scientific Method

The scientific method is extremely important to your science fair project, and understanding it is critical to the success of your science fair experiment.

Questions From Science Judges

How did you come up with the idea for this project? and more

Physical Science Projects For Beginners

Does It Matter How Much Air Is in Your Basketball?

In this experiment, determine what amount of air pressure in a basketball makes the ball perform best.

For reference: Pressure, Atmosphere, Mass, Molecule, Volume

Why Do Some Objects Fall Faster Than Others?

In this experiment, test the rate at which various objects fall, noting both the mass of each object, and how long it takes for it to fall.

For reference: Specific Gravity, Friction, Mass

Do Objects Float Better in Salt Water Than in Fresh Water?

Measure different amounts of salt into a specific amount of water and test how well different objects float.

For reference: Density

Making a Steam-Powered "Rocket Boat"

What makes rockets fly off into space?

For reference: Rocket, Steam Engine

Physical Science Projects For Intermediate Levels

What Materials Conduct Static Electricity Best?

Discover which objects most readily release their electrons, allowing a charge to result. Remember that some objects (insulators) do not give up electrons as easily as others (conductors).

For reference: Coulomb's law, Electron, Electrostatics, Neutron, Proton

Can Water Make a Bottle Rocket Fly Higher?

Does additional rocket fuel—in this case water—causes your rocket to fly better than just air pressure. Try different amounts of water to determine which amount makes the bottle rocket go the highest.

For reference: Motion, Rocket, Pressure

Downhill Discoveries

Make your own sloping tracks and select course variables, to determine how course conditions can affect acceleration and race results.

For reference: Acceleration, Friction, Potential and Kinetic Energy

Physical Science Projects For Advanced Levels

How Can You Use Physics to Become a Better Hitter?

The challenge of this science fair project is to test whether you can increase both your strength and the speed of your swing, resulting in better hitting.

For reference: Energy, Velocity

Can a Visible Light Outshine Infrared Radiation?

The process of separating the colored compounds in a mixture is called chromatography.

For reference: Electromagnetic Radiation, Wave

How Do Different Surfaces Affect the Momentum of Marbles?

Observe the momentum and calculate the velocity of moving marbles. Take a guess at what you think will occur on various surfaces as momentum is transferred from one marble to another.

For reference: Momentum, Velocity