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.
Computing and codingMedium
Spreadsheet sports day scoreboard using SUMIF
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Points from many events are added for each house with SUMIF, ranked and drawn as a bar chart. It shows how one list of results can produce a summary.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A spreadsheet program: LibreOffice Calc (free) or Google Sheets (free)
- A made-up list of 20 results with event, position and house, and four house names (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow)
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add team events with double points using a column of multipliers and include it in the SUMPRODUCT formula.
Computing and codingMedium
Digital safety test: can friends spot fake messages?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A set of made-up messages, some genuine-looking and some fake, is sorted by friends using a checklist, and the results show which tricks work best. It teaches how to recognise phishing and scam messages.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A word processor or presentation program (free), such as LibreOffice or Google Docs
- 12 made-up messages you write yourself, 6 safe and 6 scams, with invented names and no real brands
- Ten volunteers
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: Use only invented messages and never real company logos, phone numbers or links. Do not send fake messages to anyone, and a teacher must approve the test.
Take it further: Compare how well different age groups do and show the result in a chart.
Computing and codingMedium
AI literacy: testing a chatbot with twenty checkable questions
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Twenty questions with known answers are put to an AI chatbot and the answers are checked against textbooks, giving an accuracy percentage and a list of confident mistakes. It shows that AI can be useful but must be verified.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A free AI chatbot that your school or family allows, used with an adult present
- A textbook, atlas or reliable reference for checking
- A spreadsheet program: LibreOffice Calc (free) or Google Sheets (free)
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: Use the chatbot with an adult, never type your name, address, school or photos, and follow the age rules of the tool.
Take it further: Repeat the test a month later or with a second chatbot and compare accuracy.
Computing and codingMedium
AI literacy: train an image classifier on stationery items
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A free browser tool learns to tell a pencil, an eraser and a sharpener from webcam examples, and testing shows how the number and variety of examples change accuracy. It teaches how machine learning learns from data.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A computer with a webcam and Google’s Teachable Machine at teachablemachine.withgoogle.com (free, runs in the browser)
- Three stationery items: a pencil, an eraser and a sharpener
- A plain background such as a sheet of white paper
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: Point the camera only at the objects and not at faces. Read what the tool says about where images are stored and do not save the project online with images of people.
Take it further: Add a fourth class called nothing with only the empty background so the model can say that no object is present.
Computing and codingEasy
Digital privacy audit of app permissions with a parent
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Apps on a phone are checked for the permissions they hold, such as camera, microphone and location, and compared with what they need. It teaches how to protect privacy by limiting access.
You will need
- A family phone with its owner’s permission and a parent or teacher present
- The phone’s Settings page for Apps and Permissions or Privacy
- A spreadsheet program: LibreOffice Calc (free) or Google Sheets (free)
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: Only audit a phone with its owner’s agreement and an adult present. Do not change settings on a phone you do not own, and do not note down any passwords or personal data.
Take it further: Repeat after a month and see whether any apps changed their permissions after an update.
Computing and codingMedium
AI literacy: can classmates tell AI-written text from student writing?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Short paragraphs written by students and by an AI tool are mixed and shown to volunteers who guess the author. The results show how hard it is to tell and what clues people use.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A free AI tool used with an adult, a word processor and a spreadsheet
- 6 short paragraphs of 80 words on a simple topic, written by students
- Twenty volunteers
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: Use the AI tool with an adult and give it no personal details. Show paragraphs without names and use the test only for learning, never to accuse anyone of cheating.
Take it further: Test whether a longer paragraph is easier to identify than a short one.
Computing and codingMedium
Paper flowchart for an ATM withdrawal with three PIN tries
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A flowchart with decision diamonds and a loop describes the steps of an ATM withdrawal, including three PIN attempts and a balance check. It shows how to plan an algorithm before coding it.
You will need
- A4 sheets, a pencil, a ruler and an eraser (household)
- A flowchart template of symbols drawn by you: oval, rectangle, parallelogram and diamond
- Coloured pens for yes and no arrows (optional)
- A free flowchart tool such as diagrams.net, only if you want a digital copy
Take it further: Translate the flowchart into a Python program using a while loop and an if for each diamond.
Computing and codingMedium
Sorting number cards by hand: bubble sort against selection sort
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Eight number cards are sorted by two methods while counting comparisons and swaps. It shows how different algorithms reach the same answer with different amounts of work.
You will need
- Eight small paper cards numbered with random numbers from 1 to 50 (cut from old paper)
- A table, a notebook and a pencil
- A friend to count and check
Take it further: Write bubble sort in Python with nested for loops and count its swaps with a variable, then check against your hand count.
Computing and codingMedium
Binary search against linear search on a sorted roll-number list
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Looking for a roll number in a sorted list is done one by one and then by halving, and the steps are counted. It shows why binary search is so much faster for large lists.
You will need
- A sorted list of 64 roll numbers written on a sheet or in a spreadsheet
- A coin or a pencil to mark the current guess
- A notebook and a friend to pick the target number
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Write both searches in Python for a list of 1000 numbers and count steps with a variable.
Computing and codingMedium
SQL mini-database for a school library with a JOIN
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Three linked tables for books, members and loans answer questions such as who has which book, using a JOIN. It shows how real databases avoid repeating data.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- DB Browser for SQLite (free and open source) or a free online SQLite page that runs in the browser
- Made-up data: 8 books, 6 members and 8 loans
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add a fine column and a query that calculates fines of Rs 2 per day using julianday for the dates.
Computing and codingMedium
SQL stock database for a kirana shop with low-stock alerts
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
One items table answers questions on stock value by category, items running low and best selling price using WHERE, GROUP BY and ORDER BY. It shows how a shop can manage stock with simple queries.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- DB Browser for SQLite (free) or a free online SQLite page
- A made-up list of 15 grocery items with category, quantity and price
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add a sales table and a JOIN to show the profit per item as sold quantity times the price difference.
Computing and codingChallenging
SQL cricket scorecard database with averages and strike rates
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Players and match scores in two tables give totals, averages and strike rates with JOIN, GROUP BY and HAVING. It shows how statistics in sports are calculated by queries.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- DB Browser for SQLite (free) or a free online SQLite page
- Scores of 8 players in 5 matches from your school or street team, or made up
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add a bowling table with wickets and runs conceded and compute economy rate.
Computing and codingChallenging
SQL school bus routes database with fares and empty routes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Routes and riders are stored in two tables, and queries give riders per route, fare income and routes with nobody on them using LEFT JOIN. It teaches the difference between inner and outer joins.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- DB Browser for SQLite (free) or a free online SQLite page
- Made-up data: 5 routes and 20 student riders with no real names
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add a drivers table and show the driver, area and riders for each route with two joins.
Computing and codingChallenging
Python bank account class with deposit, withdraw and history
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A class bundles data and actions for an account, and the code raises errors for overdrawing. It introduces object oriented programming with a familiar example.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- Python 3 with IDLE, or the free Thonny editor, or an online Python runner (all free)
- Only made-up names and balances for testing
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety: This is a practice program with made-up money. Never enter real bank details into any practice program.
Take it further: Create a SavingsAccount class that inherits from Account and adds a method to add yearly interest.
Computing and codingMedium
Python explorer: prime sieve and Fibonacci golden ratio
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
One program finds primes with the Sieve of Eratosthenes and generates Fibonacci numbers whose consecutive ratio settles near 1.618. It links number patterns to loops and lists.
You will need
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- Python 3 with IDLE, or the free Thonny editor, or an online Python runner (all free)
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Plot the primes below 100 as a spiral using turtle (Ulam spiral) and look for diagonal lines.
Electronics and roboticsEasy
555 monostable delay timer: calculated against measured pulse width
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Staircase and passage lights, bell pushes and sample-and-hold stages all need a pulse of fixed length after a single trigger. A 555 timer in monostable mode gives such a pulse, and its length is set by one resistor and one capacitor. The project tests how close the formula T = 1.1 RC is to what a stopwatch measures.
You will need
- A NE555 timer IC and an 8-pin socket
- Resistors 10 kΩ, 47 kΩ, 100 kΩ, 470 kΩ and a 100 kΩ preset
- Electrolytic capacitors 10 µF, 47 µF, 100 µF and a 10 nF ceramic
- A push button, one LED with a 470 Ω resistor
- A 9 V battery with clip or four AA cells
- A breadboard and wires, a multimeter, a phone stopwatch
Safety: Use a battery only. Connect the capacitor with the correct polarity, because a reversed electrolytic can heat up and burst. An adult must check the circuit before the first power-up.
Take it further: Make it retriggerable by adding a BC547 transistor that discharges the capacitor on every new press, and use it as a corridor timer.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
LM317 adjustable 1.25 to 12 V bench supply with a load regulation test
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Every student lab needs a variable DC supply, and shop-bought ones are costly. An LM317 regulator with two resistors gives an adjustable output. The project builds one from a 15 V adapter output and tests how much the output falls when the load current rises, which is the load regulation.
You will need
- An LM317 regulator with a small heat sink
- A ready-made 15 V DC, 1 A adapter output or a 12 V battery pack (not a mains-wired circuit built by you)
- A 5 kΩ preset or potentiometer, 240 Ω resistor, 1N4007 diodes (2)
- Capacitors 1000 µF 25 V, 10 µF 25 V and 0.1 µF
- Power resistors or a 10 Ω 5 W resistor and a rheostat as load
- A digital multimeter (two if possible), a DC jack and binding posts, a plastic box
Safety: Take power only from a sealed ready-made adapter or battery. Never open the adapter or build any mains-side circuit. The regulator and load resistors get hot: an adult must supervise, and let them cool before touching.
Take it further: Add a second LM317 as a current limiter with a sensing resistor so that the supply works as a constant-current LED tester.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
AA cell capacity tester with a constant-current load and Arduino logging
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Rechargeable and cheap zinc cells carry a printed capacity that is often much higher than the truth. A constant-current load with an Arduino logger finds the real milliamp-hours of a cell by recording voltage until the cell reaches its cut-off.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or Nano
- An LM358 op-amp, a logic-level MOSFET such as IRLZ44N
- A 1 Ω 1 W resistor as current sense
- A 10 kΩ potentiometer and a 1 kΩ resistor
- A single AA cell holder
- AA cells to test: two brands of zinc-carbon, alkaline and Ni-MH
- A laptop with the serial plotter
Safety: Test only single AA or AAA cells at a current of 100 to 500 mA. Never test lithium cells this way, never short a cell and never leave the rig unattended near paper. An adult must be present.
Take it further: Test the same cell at 100, 300 and 500 mA and plot capacity against current to show the Peukert effect.
Electronics and roboticsEasy
Joule thief that lights an LED from a nearly flat 1.2 V cell
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A single cell below 1 V cannot light a white LED, which needs about 3 V. A joule thief is a tiny blocking oscillator that pumps energy from the cell in short bursts and steps the voltage up. The project builds it and measures the pulse frequency, the output voltage and the extra running time.
You will need
- A BC547 or 2N2222 transistor
- A small ferrite toroid core and 30 cm each of two colours of enamelled wire
- A 1 kΩ resistor
- A white LED
- A used AA cell that reads 0.9 to 1.2 V
- A cell holder, a breadboard, an oscilloscope or a phone oscilloscope app with a sound-card probe (optional)
Safety: An LED glowing at full brightness for long can be dazzling: do not stare at it. Use only a single AA cell. The enamelled wire ends must be scraped clean with sandpaper, which an adult may need to help with.
Take it further: Add a diode and a capacitor at the output to get a smoothed DC voltage and use it to charge a small capacitor.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
LM386 audio amplifier with measured gain and frequency response
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Small radios, intercoms and toy speakers use small audio power amplifiers. The LM386 gives gain of 20 or 200 with a few components. The project builds one and measures the voltage gain and how it changes with frequency, so that a student learns to read a Bode-style plot.
You will need
- An LM386N-1 amplifier IC
- An 8 Ω, 0.5 W speaker
- Capacitors 10 µF, 220 µF, 0.05 µF and 0.1 µF
- A 10 Ω resistor, a 10 kΩ volume pot
- A 9 V battery
- A signal generator app on a phone with a 3.5 mm cable and a 10 kΩ potential divider
- A multimeter with AC volts range, or a laptop sound card oscilloscope software
Safety: Keep the sound level low so that your ears are not damaged during test tones. Use only a battery. An adult must check the wiring before the first power-up.
Take it further: Add a TL072 op-amp as a microphone pre-amplifier in front of the LM386 and build a small intercom.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
TV remote code decoder with a TSOP1738 receiver and Arduino
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Infrared remotes talk to TVs and fans by sending pulses of 38 kHz light. An Arduino with a TSOP1738 receiver can decode the pulse train of each button, which teaches the idea of a protocol, and can then switch low-voltage loads from any old remote.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or Nano
- A TSOP1738 IR receiver module
- An old TV, AC or set-top remote
- Three LEDs with 330 Ω resistors
- The IRremote library from the Arduino library manager
- A breadboard and wires
- A 5 V relay module and a 5 V small fan (optional)
Safety: Use USB power only. If you add the relay, switch only a 5 V fan or an LED strip. An adult must supervise any wiring beyond the receiver.
Take it further: Use the Arduino as a learning remote that stores codes in EEPROM and sends them back using an IR LED.
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Thermistor thermometer calibrated with the Steinhart-Hart equation
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A thermistor is cheap and sensitive but its resistance is not linear with temperature. By measuring resistance at three known temperatures and fitting the Steinhart-Hart equation, you can build a digital thermometer more accurate than a basic LM35 and show how calibration removes error.
You will need
- A 10 kΩ NTC thermistor with a probe
- A 10 kΩ fixed resistor (1 percent if possible)
- An Arduino Uno and a 16x2 LCD or the serial monitor
- A laboratory or clinical thermometer
- A steel glass, ice, warm water in a mug
- A spreadsheet or Python for fitting
Safety: Use warm water only, not boiling. An adult must handle hot water and keep the electronics well away from it. Waterproof the thermistor joint with heat-shrink or tape.
Take it further: Log temperature every minute for a day into a CSV file and plot the day-night cycle inside a classroom.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
LM2596 buck converter module: efficiency against load current
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Phone chargers, LED drivers and solar chargers use switching converters because linear regulators waste power as heat. The project tests a ready-made LM2596 buck module and compares its efficiency with an LM7805 linear regulator at the same load.
You will need
- An LM2596 buck converter module with a display or preset
- An LM7805 regulator with a heat sink and two 100 nF capacitors
- A 12 V battery or 12 V, 2 A sealed adapter
- Power resistors or a rheostat as loads
- Two multimeters (current and voltage)
- A thermometer or IR thermometer
Safety: Use a sealed ready-made 12 V adapter or a battery. Resistors and regulators get very hot: an adult must supervise, and nothing flammable may be near the table.
Take it further: Measure the output ripple with an oscilloscope or sound-card scope, and add an LC filter to reduce it.
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.