IDEAS FOR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS IN SCHOOL

I'm on my way to Fenway Park to the Middle School O (orientation) for kids going into middle school in the Boston Public Schools.  I have a handout for anyone thinking ahead to their science fair projects.  It has suggestions of projects that all have to do with physics and geometry in games and sports.  Here it is below.  I got these from  www.sciencebuddies.org, a site definitely worth checking out!


SCIENCE BUDDIES   
List of Sport Science Projects  (without details) 
                                                      
 *  For abbreviated Project Ideas with an asterisk, see NOTE at bottom.
 

BEGINNER:    MEDIUM                      

Skipping Science:    An Experiment in Jump Rope Lengths

BEGINNER:    HARD               

Jumping Distance

INTERMEDIATE:   EASY

Around the World:    The Geometry of Shooting Baskets *

Bouncing Balls:   Measure the Rebound Rating*

Drag Racing in the Water

How Quickly Does a Tennis Ball Lose Its Bounce? *

Popping an Ollie:   How Skateboarders + Physics = A Really Cool Trick

Speed Quest   (Measure speeds in track events.)

The Biomechanics of Pitching

Under Pressure:   Ball Bouncing Dynamics

INTERMEDIATE:   MEDIUM

Aerodynamics of a Football *

Bouncing Balls:   Why Is the Rebound Rating < 1? *

Hey, Gear Heads!   The Physics of Bicycle Gear Ratios *

How Fast Can You Shoot a Hockey Puck? *

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

Nothing But Net:   The Science of Shooting Hoops

Physics of Vibrations *  (Bats, tennis rackets, and golf clubs vibrate when they hit the ball.)

Pump It Up:   Mountainboarding Speed and Control

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

Soccer:   Geometry of Goal-Scoring *

The Physics of Cheating in Baseball  (Corked bats versus unaltered wooden bats.)

The Physics of Follow-Through *

INTERMEDIATE:    HARD

Back and Forth to Go Forward: A Snake on Wheels?  (ride-on toys with back and forth steering)

Balancing Act:  Finding Your Center of Gravity

Baseball Bat Debate:   What's Better, Wood or Aluminum?

Football:   Place-Kicking *

Golf Clubs, Loft Angle, and Distance:   The Science of Hitting *

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

Power Kicks:   The Physics of Martial Arts

Practice *     (Controlled experiment:  physical practice vs. mental practice vs. no practice)

Skateboard Extremes:   Which Wheels are Best for Speed & Turns?

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

Tee Time:   How Fast is Your Golf Swing?

Tee Time:   How Does Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?

Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating:      Lessons in Centripetal Force & Balance

ADVANCED:    EASY

A Cure for Hooks and Slices?     Asymmetric Dimple Patterns and Golf Ball Flight

Aerodynamics & Hockey:   Does the Force of Drag Have an Effect on the Distance the Puck Will Travel? *

Are More Expensive Golf Balls Worth It?

Football:   Punting *

Golf Clubs, Loft Angle, and Distance

Paintball Ballistics

Playing the Angles:   The Physics of Balls Bouncing Off of Surfaces *

The Science of Spin:    How Does Spin Affect the Trajectory of a Kicked Soccer Ball? *

Which Team Batting Statistic Predicts Run Production Best?

ADVANCED:    MEDIUM            

Skating and Angular Momentum *   

Science of Spin:   Baseball Pendulum *

*    NOTE:    These are abbreviated Project Ideas, without notes to start your background research, a specific list of materials, or a procedure for how to do the experiment.  If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk.