By Carrie Perles, updated August 30, 2022
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High‑school engineering science projects typically center on mechanical and electrical engineering. Mechanical projects emphasize harnessing mechanical power to perform work, while electrical projects cover circuits, alternative energy sources, and energy generation. Students can choose projects that align with their interests, time constraints, and available materials.
Solar energy projects demonstrate how sunlight can be converted into usable heat or power. Common examples include solar air heaters, solar water heaters, and solar ovens. By painting a component black to absorb sunlight, you can funnel the captured heat into air, water, or food. An inquiry‑based experiment might ask, “How does outdoor temperature affect the interior temperature of a solar air heater?” or “How does the volume of water in a solar tank influence its heating rate?”
Building a Rube Goldberg machine—named after the cartoonist who designed deliberately complex mechanisms to perform simple tasks—offers a hands‑on exploration of mechanical engineering. Incorporate levers, pulleys, fans, rolling balls, and gears to create a system that, for instance, pours a cup of juice or presses a laptop’s power button. The focus should be on consistency and precision; the machine must perform the task reliably on every trial. Note that some science fairs exclude Rube Goldberg projects because they may not explicitly demonstrate the scientific method.
A marble run is an engaging way to review potential and kinetic energy. Using foam pipe insulation as the track, you can design vertical loops. Formulate a hypothesis: “What minimum starting height is required for a marble to complete a loop of a given radius?” Build the track, test the hypothesis, and refine the design based on the results.
Homemade batteries, while modest in power, are excellent for illustrating basic electrochemistry. Construct a simple cell by alternating pennies, nickel discs, and lemon‑soaked paper towels: penny → lemon towel → nickel → lemon towel → penny → lemon towel → nickel. Measure the voltage with a multimeter, then experiment by swapping the electrolyte or electrode materials to identify which combinations produce measurable voltage.
