Science projects
Your Science Exhibition Guide
Choose a project, build it, present it and answer the judges with confidence
Science project idea finder
1028 science project ideas, from class 1 to college.
Find a project by class, subject and type. Every idea explains the science it shows, what you need, how long it takes and how to stay safe, with free ebooks and ready-made kits if you need them. 929 ideas have numbered steps and viva questions on their own page.
Every idea by class: Class 1 to 5, Class 6 to 8, Class 9 and 10, Class 11 and 12, College and diploma.
Want a complete build with diagrams? 16 free detailed project guides
- Class 1 to 5Simple, safe models made with help at home.224 ideas
- Class 6 to 8Working models of the science you learn in class.485 ideas
- Class 9 and 10Energy, electricity, light and first robots.467 ideas
- Class 11 and 12Investigatory projects for the practical exam.331 ideas
- College and diplomaArduino, IoT and sensor projects.119 ideas
Idea finder
Find your project
Choose your class and what interests you, or search for a word such as magnet, solar, heart or robot. Open any card for a summary, or its title for the full page with the science, the steps and the viva questions.
BiologyMedium
Human heart model with double circulation
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The heart has four chambers. The right side pumps blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, and the left side pumps it to the rest of the body. Valves stop the blood flowing backwards.
You will need
- Clay or thermocol
- Red and blue paint, or pipes for arteries and veins
- A base and labels
- Red and blue LEDs to show the flow (optional)
PhysicsChallenging
AC generator (electromagnetic induction)
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When a coil turns in a magnetic field, the changing magnetic field through it induces a current (Faraday’s law). The current reverses every half turn, which is alternating current.
You will need
- Enamelled copper wire for the coil
- Strong magnets
- A wooden or plastic frame and an axle
- Slip rings and brushes
- An LED or a galvanometer
PhysicsMedium
Light trapped in a stream of water
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Light inside the water meets the surface at a large angle and is totally internally reflected, so it follows the curved stream. Optical fibres carry internet signals the same way.
You will need
- A clear plastic bottle with a hole near the bottom
- Water
- A low-power laser pointer or a bright torch
- A dark room and a basin
Safety: Never shine a laser into anyone’s eyes. Use a low-power pointer, with an adult.
ChemistryMedium
Electrolysis of water
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An electric current splits water into hydrogen at the negative electrode and oxygen at the positive one. About twice as much hydrogen as oxygen collects, which matches the formula H₂O.
You will need
- A 9 V battery
- Two pencil leads or graphite rods as electrodes
- Water with baking soda dissolved in it
- Two small test tubes
- A plastic tray
Safety: Use baking soda, not common salt, which gives off chlorine gas. Keep flames away and use a battery only.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Smart dustbin with Arduino
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An ultrasonic sensor sends out a pulse of sound and times its echo to measure distance. When a hand comes close, the Arduino tells a servo motor to lift the lid.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno and USB cable
- An HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor
- An SG90 servo motor
- A small dustbin
- Jumper wires and a battery pack
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Obstacle-avoiding robot
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The robot measures the distance ahead with an ultrasonic sensor. When something is too close, the program stops, turns and looks for a clear path, driving the motors through a motor driver.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno
- An HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor, with a servo to turn it (optional)
- An L298N motor driver
- A robot chassis with two geared motors and wheels
- A battery pack and a switch
Safety: Use a proper battery holder and never short-circuit lithium cells.
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Line follower robot
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IR sensors shine infrared light at the floor: white reflects it and black absorbs it. The controller reads which sensor sees the line and steers the motors to stay on it.
You will need
- An Arduino or a comparator board
- Two or more IR sensor modules
- A motor driver and two geared motors
- A chassis, wheels and a castor
- Black tape on a white sheet for the track
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Automatic plant watering system
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A soil moisture sensor gives a reading that changes with the water in the soil. When the soil is dry, the Arduino switches on a small pump until it is moist again.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno
- A soil moisture sensor
- A small low-voltage pump with tubing
- A relay or transistor driver module
- A pot plant and a water container
Safety: Keep the electronics away from water, and use only a low-voltage pump.
BiologyMedium
DNA double helix model
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DNA is two strands twisted into a double helix. The sides are sugar and phosphate; the rungs are pairs of bases, with A always joined to T and G to C.
You will need
- Beads or thermocol balls in four colours for the bases
- Pipe cleaners or wire for the two backbones
- A stand
- A colour key
BiologyMedium
Does the colour of light affect plant growth?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light strongly and reflects most green light, so seedlings under green filters usually grow more weakly than those in white light.
You will need
- Six small pots of the same seedlings
- Red, blue, green and clear cellophane
- Boxes or frames to cover each pot
- A ruler and a notebook
Take it further: Keep everything else the same (water, soil, temperature) so the test is fair.
MathsEasy
Fibonacci numbers in nature
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In the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on, each number is the sum of the two before it, and the ratio of neighbours gets closer to about 1.618, the golden ratio. The spirals on sunflower heads and pine cones often come in Fibonacci numbers.
You will need
- Pine cones, sunflower heads or pineapples
- Coloured markers to count the spirals
- Graph paper
- A calculator
ChemistryMedium
Vitamin C in fruit juices
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Vitamin C reacts with iodine. When iodine solution is added drop by drop to a juice containing starch, the blue-black colour appears only after all the vitamin C is used up, so more drops mean more vitamin C.
You will need
- Iodine solution and starch solution
- Fresh and packaged juices
- A dropper or a burette
- A measuring cylinder and small beakers
Safety: Iodine stains and is harmful if swallowed: do not drink any sample, and work with your teacher.
ChemistryEasy
Foaming capacity of soaps
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Soaps differ in how much lather they make. In hard water, calcium and magnesium salts react with soap to form scum, so less foam forms.
You will need
- Samples of different soaps
- Distilled water and tap water
- Test tubes with stoppers
- A ruler and a stopwatch
BiologyEasy
Yeast fermentation and temperature
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Yeast feeds on sugar and gives off carbon dioxide gas, which inflates a balloon fastest in warm water. Cold slows the yeast down and very hot water kills it.
You will need
- Dry yeast and sugar
- Three bottles and three balloons
- Cold, warm and hot water
- A thermometer, and a tape to measure the balloons
Safety: An adult should handle the hot water.
ChemistryEasy
Temperature and the rate of a reaction
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An effervescent tablet dissolves faster in warm water, because the particles move faster and collide more often and with more energy. Crushing the tablet speeds it up too, by giving it more surface area.
You will need
- Effervescent antacid or vitamin tablets
- Water at three or four temperatures
- A thermometer and a stopwatch
- Clear cups
ChemistryChallenging
Oxalate in guava as it ripens
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Guava contains oxalate ions. Titrating extracts of raw, half-ripe and ripe guava with potassium permanganate shows how the amount of oxalate changes as the fruit ripens.
You will need
- Guavas at three stages of ripeness
- Potassium permanganate solution and dilute sulphuric acid
- A burette, a pipette and conical flasks
- Filter paper and a mortar and pestle
Safety: This uses an acid and an oxidiser: do it only in the school lab with your teacher, wearing goggles and gloves.
ChemistryMedium
Simple food adulteration tests
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Some adulterants show up with simple tests: starch in milk, paneer or khoa turns blue-black with iodine, and sawdust or brick powder in spices floats or settles when the powder is sprinkled on water.
You will need
- Samples of milk, paneer, turmeric and chilli powder
- Iodine solution
- Glasses of water
- A dropper and white tiles
Safety: Do not eat the tested samples. Tests that need strong acids must be done in the lab with your teacher.
BiologyEasy
Osmosis in potato strips
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water moves through cell membranes from a weaker solution to a stronger one (osmosis). Potato strips in strong salt or sugar water lose water and shrink; strips in plain water take in water and firm up.
You will need
- Potatoes, cut by an adult
- Salt or sugar solutions of different strengths
- Cups and labels
- A kitchen scale and a ruler
BiologyMedium
Salivary amylase and temperature
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The enzyme amylase in saliva breaks starch down into sugar. Iodine stops turning blue-black once the starch is gone, which happens fastest near body temperature; boiling destroys the enzyme.
You will need
- Starch solution and iodine
- Your own diluted saliva
- Test tubes and water baths at different temperatures
- A dropper, a white tile and a stopwatch
Safety: Use only your own saliva and never share samples. Handle hot water carefully.
BiologyEasy
Extract DNA from a banana
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Washing-up liquid breaks open the cell membranes, salt helps the DNA clump together, and ice-cold alcohol makes the DNA come out of solution as white strands you can see.
You will need
- A ripe banana or strawberries
- Washing-up liquid, salt and water
- A strainer and a tall glass
- Ice-cold rubbing alcohol (isopropyl)
- A wooden skewer
Safety: Rubbing alcohol is flammable and poisonous: keep it away from flames and never drink it.
BiologyChallenging
Stages of mitosis in onion root tips
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Root tips grow by cell division. A stained squash of an onion root tip under a microscope shows cells in prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.
You will need
- Onions grown in water until roots appear
- A stain such as acetocarmine, slides and cover slips
- A compound microscope
- A blade, used by the teacher
Safety: Stains and fixing chemicals are for the school lab only, with your teacher.
PhysicsMedium
Full wave bridge rectifier
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Four diodes arranged as a bridge send current through the load in the same direction on both halves of the AC cycle, turning AC into pulsating DC. A capacitor smooths the output.
You will need
- Four 1N4007 diodes
- An enclosed, ready-made low-voltage step-down transformer or a low-voltage AC supply
- An electrolytic capacitor and a load resistor or LED
- A breadboard and a multimeter
Safety: Never wire or touch the mains side yourself: use an enclosed transformer or a low-voltage AC supply from your teacher.
PhysicsMedium
Logic gates with diodes and a transistor
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Two diodes and a resistor make AND and OR gates, and a transistor makes a NOT gate. Switches give the inputs and an LED shows the output, matching each gate’s truth table.
You will need
- Diodes, resistors and a BC547 transistor
- Two switches and LEDs
- A 5 V supply or battery pack
- A breadboard
PhysicsChallenging
Transformer working model
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Alternating current in the primary coil makes a changing magnetic field in the iron core, which induces a voltage in the secondary coil (mutual induction). In an ideal transformer the voltages are in the same ratio as the numbers of turns.
You will need
- A laminated iron core or a soft-iron ring
- Enamelled copper wire for two coils with different numbers of turns
- A low-voltage AC supply in the school lab
- An AC voltmeter or a small bulb
Safety: Never connect a home-made transformer to the mains. Use only a low-voltage AC supply, with your teacher.
Before you start
How to choose a good project
Six things to think about before you decide. A project you understand and finish well beats a big one you rush.
Start with a question
Good projects answer a question you are curious about: why does iron rust, which fabric keeps tea hottest, how does a robot follow a line? A question gives your project a purpose.
Check what is asked
Find out whether your teacher wants a working model, a still model or an investigatory project, the size limits, the topic or theme, the date, and whether ready-made models are allowed.
Match your time and class
Each idea here shows a class band, a difficulty and a rough time. Choose something you can finish properly with time to test it, rather than something huge you have to rush.
Pick science you can explain
Judges and examiners ask how it works. Choose an idea whose science you understand, or can learn from your textbook and the free ebooks, and practise explaining it.
List materials and costs
Write down everything you need before you start. Many models use things from home; motors, LEDs, sensors and boards are easy to buy as spare parts or in a kit.
Make it your own
Change one thing and measure what happens, add a chart of your readings, or show a real-life use. Even a well-known model becomes yours when you add your own observations.
Plan your time
A four-week project timeline
Work backwards from the date of your exhibition or submission. Short of time? Do the same steps faster, but never skip testing.
- 4 weeks before
Choose and get it approved
- Shortlist two or three ideas
- Write your aim or question in one sentence
- Show your teacher and agree the idea
- 3 weeks before
Read and collect materials
- Read the science in your textbook and a free ebook
- Sketch the design with measurements
- Collect or buy the materials and spare parts
- 2 weeks before
Build and test
- Build one part at a time and test each part
- For an investigation, repeat each reading at least three times
- Write every observation in a notebook with the date
- 1 week before
Write the report and chart
- Aim, materials, method, observations, result and conclusion
- A neat table or graph of your readings
- A chart or poster with a labelled diagram
- Last 2 days
Rehearse
- Practise a one-minute explanation out loud
- Prepare answers to the questions below
- Pack spares: cells, wires, tape and glue
On the day
Present it with confidence
You will usually have a minute or two to explain your project, then questions. Practise both out loud at home.
A one-minute explanation
- 1Name and question“My project is a … It answers the question …”
- 2What it showsOne sentence of science, in your own words.
- 3How it worksPoint to each part as you explain it.
- 4What you foundYour readings or result, and what they mean.
- 5Real lifeWhere the same science is used every day.
Questions judges often ask
- What does your project show, in one sentence?
- How does it work? Which law or idea of science is behind it?
- What did you change, and what did you measure?
- What went wrong while you were making it, and how did you fix it?
- Where is this idea used in real life?
- What would you improve if you made it again?
What your project file needs
- Title page with your name, class and school
- Aim or question
- Introduction: the science behind it
- Materials list
- Method, step by step, with a diagram
- Observations in a table
- Result and conclusion
- Precautions and safety
- Sources: books and websites you used
Projects and kits
Ready-made projects, kits and spare parts
Need a working model, a kit to build yourself, or a motor, LED, battery or sensor to finish your own? Every idea card links to the matching section of the store.
School Projects, Class 1 to 9
Ready-made working models for class 1 to 9: science, maths, physics, chemistry and biology.Browse
School Projects, Class 10 to 12
Working models and investigatory projects for class 10, 11 and 12.Browse
Best Out of Waste
Models made from bottles, cardboard and old parts, for waste-management themes.Browse
Robotics and Coding
Robot kits, Arduino projects, line followers, obstacle avoiders and smart projects.Browse
DIY Kits
Kits with every part and step-by-step instructions, to build the model yourself.Browse
Components and Spares
Motors, LEDs, batteries, switches, wires, sensors and breadboards to build or repair.Browse
Engineering Projects
Minor and major projects for diploma and BTech students.Browse
Cannot find what you need? Ask the head office on WhatsApp.
Free ebooks
Free books for making projects
Step-by-step project books for every class, plus guides to exhibitions, project files and viva questions. Free to download, read and print.
Science projects
Writing a Science Project File
How to write the report, from the cover page to the bibliography
Science projects
Viva Questions for Science Projects
How to answer examiner questions, with sample questions for popular projects
Science projects
Easy Science Projects for Class 1 to 5
Simple, safe projects young children can make with a little help
Science projects
Science Projects for Class 6 to 8
Working models matched to middle-school science topics
Science projects
Investigatory Projects for Class 11 and 12
Topics, method and report structure for physics, chemistry and biology
Stay safe
Safety rules for every project
Read these with a parent before you start. Ideas that need extra care carry their own safety note on the card.
Never use mains electricity
Power your models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Never connect anything home-made to a wall socket.
Adult help for sharp and hot tools
Cutters, blades, glue guns, soldering irons and drills need an adult beside you. Cut away from your body on a board.
Chemicals with care
Use only safe household materials at home. Acids, stains and other lab chemicals are for the school lab with your teacher. Wear goggles and never taste anything.
Flames only with an adult
Candles and burners only with an adult present and water nearby. Tie back long hair and keep paper away.
Look after batteries
Do not short-circuit a battery, mix old and new cells, or puncture or heat a lithium battery. Remove batteries when the model is stored.
Small parts away from little ones
Magnets, button cells and small parts can be swallowed. Keep them away from younger brothers and sisters, and wash your hands after making.
Questions about science projects
Still have a question?
Chat on WhatsAppWhat is the difference between a working model, a still model and an investigatory project?
A working model moves or works to show a principle, such as a windmill that lights an LED. A still model shows how something is built or arranged, such as the layers of the Earth. An investigatory project asks a question and answers it by experiment: you change one thing, measure the result and draw a conclusion from your readings.
Can I buy a ready-made project?
Check your school’s rules first: some competitions want models made by the student, and some allow ready-made ones. Either way, you must understand how it works and be able to explain it. A good approach is to build from a kit, or to add your own measurements and chart to a ready-made model.
How long does a school project take?
Each idea here shows a rough time for the making. Leave extra time for reading, testing, the report and practice: three to four weeks from choosing to presenting is comfortable for most school projects.
What should go in my project report or file?
A title page, your aim, the science behind it, the materials, the method with a diagram, your observations in a table, the result and conclusion, precautions, and the books and websites you used. The free ebook “Writing a Science Project File” explains each part.
What if my model stops working on the day?
Carry spare cells, wires and tape, and test everything when you arrive. Take a short video or photos of it working at home. If something still fails, explain calmly what should happen and what you would check: judges value understanding as much as a perfect model.
More help
Stuck on a project?
Read the student help pages, try the free calculators for circuits and units, or ask the head office on WhatsApp.