Physics · Optics
Measure the speed of light with a chocolate bar
Find the wavelength of microwaves from melt spots on chocolate, then calculate the speed of light.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
606 projects · 13 streams · every class
Physics projects 17
Physics projects you can measure: motion, light, sound, heat, electricity and magnetism. Each project gives the materials, the steps and the calculation behind the result.
17 Physics projects
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Physics · Modern Physics
Measure Planck's constant with LEDs
Find the turn-on voltage of LEDs of different colours and get Planck's constant from the slope.
- Advanced
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Physics · Mechanics
Calibrate a spring and build a newton meter
Stretch a spring with known weights, plot the graph and turn it into a force meter you can use.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Build a pinhole camera and find its magnification
Make a box camera with no lens and show that image size depends on object and screen distance.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Measure the refractive index of water with a laser pointer
Trace a laser beam entering water at several angles and get the refractive index from Snell's law.
- Intermediate
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Waves
Measure the speed of sound with two phones
Use two phones with an acoustic stopwatch app to time a clap over a known distance.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Free
Physics · Current Electricity
Verify Ohm's law and find where it fails
Plot current against voltage for a resistor and a bulb and explain the difference.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Oscillations
Find g with a simple pendulum and a phone
Time pendulums of different lengths and get the acceleration due to gravity from a straight-line graph.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics + Music, Theatre and Writing
Study the physics of a musical instrument
Measure how the length of a string or the water level in a bottle changes the pitch.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- Under 250
Physics + Astronomy and Space
Estimate the Sun's power with a can of water
Measure how fast sunlight heats blackened water and estimate the solar constant.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics + Environmental Science
Model the greenhouse effect in two bottles
Compare how fast air and carbon-dioxide-rich air warm under the same lamp.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Show total internal reflection with a water stream
Trap a laser beam inside a curved stream of water, the way an optical fibre works.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Mechanics
Measure the coefficient of friction on an inclined plane
Find the angle at which a block just slides and compare friction for different surfaces.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Measure the wavelength of a laser with a ruler
Reflect a laser at grazing angle off a steel ruler and get its wavelength from the diffraction spots.
- Intermediate
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Waves
Investigate standing waves on a string
Drive a stretched string with a small speaker and find how frequency depends on tension.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- 250–500
Physics · Fluid Mechanics
Measure surface tension by counting drops
Use the drop-weight method to compare the surface tension of water, soapy water and oil.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Kinematics
Show that falling time does not depend on mass
Film objects of different mass falling together and compare their fall times frame by frame.
- Beginner
- Under 1 hour
- Free
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