High School Physics projects?

Question

I was looking for a cool physics project for high schoolers, I was thinking of showing the properties of electricity or magnitism? Any ideas on a project that could hold their attention while still trying to teach them something?

Answer 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHffliC2whk&mode=related&search=

it's a magnet engine.. if you have the parts see if they can do something like this..looks pretty neat.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
High School Physics projects?
I was looking for a cool physics project for high schoolers, I was thinking of showing the properties of electricity or magnitism? Any ideas on a project that could hold their attention while still trying to teach them something?

Answer 3

Build a Tesla coil. Once it's finished, your students can play around with non-lethal high voltages (e.g, making hair stand straight up, creating long-loud sparks, using as an EMW transmitter).

While they are building it, they will learn about the need for intermittent or alternating current to be able to increase voltages with a coil, they will learn that N/n (where the n's are the turns of coil in the secondary (N) and primary (n) coils) determine the voltage step up, they will learn about building a capacitor, and they will learn how to find a primary power source (like an old Ford ignition coil transformer) to power the Tesla.

I built one in HS and had fun doing it. And I learned a very valuable, unforgettable lesson...do not touch the capacitor to see if it's working even after the Tesla's power has been turned off...Zap.

Answer 4

Anything with a Van Der Graph generator will do it. My three favorites are: holding a neon light bulb to it, sticking a metal sphere about a foot away from it, and putting a stack of aluminum pie tins on top of it. I've taken two highschool physics classes and I still think these are cool.

Answer 5

Place a bar magnet under a sheet of paper and sprinkle iron filings on the paper while having a student gently tap the paper with a finger tip, the effect will be dramatic as the filings trace out the magnetic field that radiates from the magnet.

Answer 6

My physics 12 teacher showed us some demos taken from this site (listen in sources). He showed us what happened and then explained why the phenomenon was happening.

There are some very, very cool easy demos there.
Good luck!

Answer 7

Obtain a 'Newton's Cradle' (6 suspended balls showing the transfer of Kinetic Energy from the first through to the last ball in the line). Leave it running while continuing with your lesson, then ask questions about it).