Physics Project Experiment Ideas

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SUMMARY

This forum discussion centers on generating innovative physics project ideas for a 9th-grade student. The teacher rejected a simplistic project comparing travel speeds along different paths, prompting the student to seek more engaging alternatives. Suggested project ideas include investigating the insulation properties of different hair shades and food items, as well as exploring the flammability of household and food products. The discussion emphasizes the importance of data collection and analysis in the chosen experiment, with potential projects involving video analysis using Videopoint software or constructing a solar oven.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts such as motion and energy conservation
  • Familiarity with data collection and analysis methods
  • Knowledge of video analysis tools, specifically Videopoint software
  • Basic skills in project design and execution
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the Brachistochrone problem and its applications in physics
  • Learn how to use Videopoint software for motion analysis
  • Investigate the properties of insulators and conduct experiments on various materials
  • Explore the science behind flammability and conduct experiments on household products
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for 9th-grade students, physics teachers, and anyone interested in developing engaging and educational physics experiments that involve data collection and analysis.

pearly_girly
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I need help coming up with an idea for my physics project, my teacher rejected my idea of which will a ball travel from two points faster on a straight line, palabora, or cyclode. she say is obvious its the same for each and we studied that, she says its a mickey mouse project.
so yeah I am in 9th grade, and need some cool but also not too hard to do. some ideas i have are these:
Do different shades of hair insulate at different levels?
Do different foods insulate at different levels?
What household products are the most flammable, why?
What food products are the most flammable, why?

but even if i do one of those shell probably call them mickey mouse projects
here are the instructions

It must involve an experiment, with data collection and analysis, and involves several steps:

Possible Topics: You may pick one of the following types of projects, or perhaps something different (must be approved by teacher). Not all teachers are using all projects; your teacher will tell you which ones you can choose from.

1. Video Project: make a video and use Videopoint software to analyze some aspect of motion, conservation of momentum, conservation of energy, etc. BE SURE to consider whether the event involved (ie, a collision) is appropriate for this – for example, many events like golf swings and baseball batting occur too fast to capture with a normal video camera. It’s HIGHLY ADVISABLE that you discuss this with your teacher before writing your proposal.

2. Build something: research and build something related to some topic studied this year (ie, solar oven, musical instrument, telescope, many more). Remember this must also involve data-taking and analysis!

3. Hobby/sports: If you have some favorite hobby or sport, devise an experiment that somehow involves it (must be physics-related).
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Ask your physics teacher if she knows calculus of variations, which Isaac Newton invented and used about 1696 to solve the problem of finding the fastest path for a frictionless mass sliding from point A to a lower point B. The popular name for the problem is the Brachistochrone problem, which Newton solved in one day. See Newton's solution at
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BrachistochroneProblem.html
I have seen photographs of a brachistochrone built out of rosewood. It would be interesting to see a brachistochrone and a standard straight ramp perform side by side.
 
would need some pretty serous adult supervision but Rubin's tube. Nice example a standing sound wave.

Although food flammability study could be fun.
 

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