Physics is the study of matter — what is it made of? How does it behave? What laws or equations describe it? From subatomic particles, to the Big Bang, modern physicists study matter at a tremendous range of scales. There's a whole lot of interesting physics at the human scale, too.
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| Featured Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge! Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies! Open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January. Explore the current challenge as well as ones from past years! Read more
Rubber Band Car Challenge Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea In this engineering challenge, you will build a car powered by nothing but a rubber band. The farther the car goes, and the fewer materials you use to build it, the higher your score. Enter your score in the 2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge for a chance to win prizes! Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more
Build a Paper Roller Coaster Log in to add favorite More Menu
STEM Activity 1 2 3 4 5 844 reviews Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? Have you ever wanted to design your own? There are plenty of expensive toys and even video games that will let you build your own coasters—but in this project you'll make one out of paper and tape, and learn about roller coaster physics along the way! Read more
New Simulate Clean Room Contamination with Crayon Leaf Rubbings Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea Have you ever made a leaf rubbing or imprint using paper and crayons? What do you think would happen if you got dirt or sand on the leaf? Would it mess up the result? In this project you will find out and learn about how this is related to the process of making the microchips that run our phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Read more
Balloon-Powered Car Challenge Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea Do you think you could build a car powered by nothing but air? A balloon-powered car is pushed forward by air escaping from a balloon, and it is fun and easy to build with materials you already have around your house. Can you imagine how you would want your own balloon-powered car to look? Can you design a car that will travel as far as possible? You can even measure your car's speed using your smartphone and a special sensor app. Get ready to grab some simple supplies to bring your idea to… Read more
Build a Balloon Car Log in to add favorite More Menu
STEM Activity 1 2 3 4 5 648 reviews Build a balloon-powered car from recycled materials in this fun activity. You can even grab a friend, build two cars, and race them against each other! Read more
Ball Launcher Challenge Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea Try your hand at this engineering challenge. Can you build a "launcher" device to launch a ball as far as possible and a "receiver" to catch it? Building a receiver provides an extra twist to a traditional catapult project. Add to the challenge by using a limited set of materials to build your machine and calculate a score based on your throw distance and materials used. Read more
New Build a Magnetic Pet Door Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea Does your home have any pet doors or gates for dogs, cats, or other animals? Some automatic pet doors can be set up to allow only certain animals through. These doors can help you control which pets are able to go outside alone or which ones have access to specific food, litter boxes, or toys. But why buy such a door when you can make one? In this project you will build your own automatic pet door that works with a magnetic collar tag. Exactly how you use it is up to you! Read more
Tallest Paper Tower Challenge Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea In this engineering challenge, you will use limited materials to build a paper tower as tall as possible, but there's a twist! Your tower must also support a heavy weight at the top without collapsing. Looking for inspiration? You can see how other students have tackled this and other annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenges.Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more
Marble Roller Coaster: How Much Height to Loop the Loop? Log in to add favorite More Menu
Science Fair Project Idea This is a really fun project even if you don't like going on roller coasters yourself. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much of an initial drop is required to get the marble to "loop the loop." It's a great way to learn about how stored energy (potential energy) is converted into the energy of motion (kinetic energy). Read more
Build a Popsicle Stick Catapult Log in to add favorite More Menu
STEM Activity 1 2 3 4 5 200 reviews Catapults were mighty handy for pirates in the golden age of piracy (during the 17th century). And medieval knights used them centuries earlier for taking down massive castle walls. Even Greeks and Romans used catapults about 2,000 years ago! These simple machines are quite handy, as long as you know how to aim them! In this science activity you will try your hand at catapult technology. Can you predict where your cotton ball will land? Read more
Rubber Band Car Challenge for Grades 6-8 Log in to add favorite More Menu
Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th 1 2 3 4 5 10 reviews In this fun engineering lesson plan, your students will build rubber band-powered cars using readily available craft supplies. The challenge is to build a car that goes as far as possible while making careful use of materials. Elementary school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available. You can enter your students' designs in the 2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge for a chance to win a cash prize for your school. Read more NGSS Performance Expectations:
Paper Roller Coasters: Kinetic and Potential Energy Log in to add favorite More Menu
Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th 1 2 3 4 5 22 reviews What goes up, must come down in this thrill-seeking lesson plan! How much energy does a roller coaster car need to make it through a loop? In this lesson your students will learn about kinetic and potential energy as they build their own roller coasters from simple classroom materials. Read more NGSS Performance Expectations:
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