A simple project can be used to test expansion and contraction and how heat tranfers energy into objects, called thermodynamics. Dropping rubber pucks on a sheet of ice will show how heat affects a puck's movement on ice. Use three official National Hockey League pucks. Boil one in water, keep another frozen (as pucks are kept during games) and let the third warm up to room temperature. Drop each puck onto the ice and measure the bounce of each. The hot puck should be handled with tongs. The cold puck will bounce the least, while the hot puck will bounce the most because it's gained energy, caused by the heat stretching the pucks' polymer strings and allowing it snap back farther upon impact with another object.
One project reviews three aspects of baseball. The first tests the effectiveness of different materials for baseball bats, like aluminum and wood. Observe the difference in distances a baseball travels off of each bat, drawing inferences from the data as to which material is better suited for longer flight. Conduct an experiment on pitch speed and the distance of the ball from its point of contact. Determine whether faster pitches allow the ball to travel farther? Changing the pitch speeds for two novice baseball players who are able to swing a bat and make contact. The third part of the project involves how spin affects a baseball contacting a bat. Observe baseball players throwing pitches with movement, like curveballs and sliders, and charting the hit location compared to fastballs.
Studying golf involves applying kinesiology and physics to determine successful and unsuccessful outcomes for swings. Use video to diagnose the mechanics of a swing and how each part of the body is moving to generate the energy for the golf club to contact the golf ball. A golf swing is a complex movement that involves many parts of the body. Video can also determine how particular swings affect the flight of the ball. Variables would be how the club face affects the flight of the ball and how the swing affects the clubhead as it moves through the swing path. Because of this, the flight of the ball and the movement of the person, using kinesthetic and physics approaches, are interdependent.
Tennis and badminton have similar physical dynamics to baseball and golf, but are much easier to test by moderately athletic or less-skilled participants. Projects with these sports should look at the surface of the playing fields. With tennis, hard and clay courts are used and each affects the movement of the player and ball. Explore which physical attributes are best for each type of field. Make badminton part of the project, too. Based on its aerodynamic qualities, the flight of the shuttlecock is different than any other in sports. Observe the flight of the shuttlecocks as it relates to the angles used to strike it. The shuttlecock itself should also be studied as it relates to flight. Identify the reasons why a shuttlecock travels far less than other balls struck with the same force.