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.
PhysicsChallenging
Two toy car collisions: checking momentum with slow-motion video
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
In a collision the total momentum of two cars is the same before and after, even though some kinetic energy is lost. Slow-motion video gives the speeds.
You will need
- Two toy cars of known mass (weigh them on a kitchen scale)
- A smooth table or a long plank with a marked 1 cm grid
- Blu-tack or Velcro to make them stick, and a spring or rubber band for a bounce
- A phone camera with slow motion (120 or 240 frames per second)
- A metre rule laid on the table in the picture
- A notebook and a calculator
Safety: Keep the cars away from the table edge and from the floor beneath it. An adult must supervise small parts.
Take it further: Start with both cars at rest, joined by a compressed spring, release them and show that the two momenta are equal and opposite.
PhysicsMedium
Rubber band launcher: range against launch angle, maximum at 45 degrees
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A ball launched at the same speed travels farthest when the angle is about 45 degrees, and two angles that add to 90 degrees give the same range. This follows from R = v² sin 2θ / g.
You will need
- A wooden plank or a stiff cardboard launcher with a hinge made from tape
- A thick rubber band and two nails or pins for a catapult
- A protractor fixed to the side of the launcher
- A soft ball such as a table-tennis ball or a crumpled paper ball
- A long tape measure or a rope marked in metres
- An open ground or a school field
- A helper to mark where it lands
Safety: Launch only light, soft balls, never at people or animals. An adult must supervise and keep everyone behind the launcher.
Take it further: Launch from a table and show that the best angle is then a little less than 45 degrees.
PhysicsMedium
Rolling race on a slope: hollow can, solid cylinder and ball
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Objects of the same mass and radius roll down a slope at different speeds, because their mass is spread differently. The ball wins and the hollow ring comes last, and the rolling acceleration can be calculated from the moment of inertia.
You will need
- A long smooth plank about 1.2 m long, raised by books
- An empty steel can with its lid and base on (hollow cylinder)
- A solid wooden or plastic cylinder of about the same radius, or a can filled with plaster
- A solid ball such as a steel or rubber ball of about the same size
- A phone stopwatch or phone video
- A tape measure and a protractor or a ruler for the slope
- A flat block to make the start line
Safety: Keep fingers clear of the objects at the end of the slope and catch them in a box.
Take it further: Fill a can with sand and a can with water and race them to see how a loose filling changes the result.
PhysicsMedium
Whirled rubber bung: checking the centripetal force formula
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A body moving in a circle needs an inward force of m ω² r. Whirling a bung on a string with a hanging weight pulling it inwards shows that this force equals the weight.
You will need
- A rubber bung or a ball of about 20 g (weigh it)
- About 1.5 m of strong thread
- A smooth plastic pen barrel or a glass tube (with the ends smoothed) to hold in the hand
- A set of washers or small weights as the hanging load
- A paper clip or marker tape on the string to fix the radius
- A phone stopwatch
- A ruler and a calculator
Safety: Whirl the bung in an open area, away from people and windows; an adult must supervise. Wear safety glasses if possible.
Take it further: Keep the weight fixed and plot T² against r to show that T² is proportional to r.
PhysicsChallenging
A marble falling in honey: viscosity from terminal speed
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A ball falling in a thick liquid reaches a steady speed where the drag balances its weight less the buoyancy. Stokes’s law then gives the liquid’s viscosity from that speed.
You will need
- A tall clear jar or measuring cylinder (about 30 cm) filled with honey or glycerine
- A glass marble or a steel bead of known diameter (measure it with a ruler against the jar or a vernier calliper)
- Marks of tape on the jar 5 cm apart
- A phone stopwatch or video
- A kitchen scale to weigh the marble, and a cup to find the liquid’s density
- A thermometer
- Warm water in a bowl to change the temperature
Safety: An adult must supervise any warming of the jar in a bowl of hot water; use warm, not hot, water.
Take it further: Compare mustard oil, coconut oil and glycerine at the same temperature and rank their viscosities.
PhysicsMedium
Straw hydrometer: calibrating a float to measure liquid density
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A weighted straw floats lower in a lighter liquid and higher in a denser one. Marking it in liquids of known density turns it into a hydrometer.
You will need
- A plastic drinking straw about 20 cm long, sealed at the bottom with clay
- Lead shot, sand or small nuts as ballast
- Salt and a kitchen scale
- A tall glass or measuring cylinder
- A ruler and a waterproof marker
- Water, milk and cooking oil to test
Safety: An adult should supervise if sharp objects are used to cut the straw. Do not drink anything used in the experiment.
Take it further: Make a lactometer scale and test milk diluted with 10 and 20 percent water to see how the reading changes.
PhysicsMedium
Capillary rise of water against tube radius: Jurin’s law with glass tubes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water climbs up a narrow glass tube and goes higher in a narrower one. The height is inversely proportional to the radius, and the measured heights give the surface tension of water.
You will need
- Glass capillary tubes or pen refill tubes of three or four different bores (from a lab shop or snapped from fine glass droppers)
- Water coloured with a drop of ink or food colour
- A shallow dish
- A ruler or a graph-paper strip fixed on a card as a scale
- A magnifier to read the bore
- Clay to hold the tubes upright
- A thermometer
Safety: An adult must cut or snap any glass and smooth the ends; do not touch broken edges.
Take it further: Add a drop of detergent to the water and show that the capillary rise falls because the surface tension has dropped.
PhysicsMedium
Hooke’s law and spring oscillations: T² against load graph
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A spring stretches in proportion to the load, and a mass hanging on it bobs up and down with a period that depends on the mass and the spring constant. The two experiments give the same spring constant.
You will need
- A soft spring from a hardware shop or a short section of a Slinky (a pen spring is too stiff)
- A stand, a clamp or a hook fixed to a shelf
- A weight hanger and a set of 20 g or 50 g masses (washers or coin bags)
- A metre rule fixed upright behind the spring
- A phone stopwatch
- A kitchen scale to check the masses
- Graph paper
Safety: Keep the load light and your face away from the spring in case it snaps back. An adult should check the stand.
Take it further: Join two identical springs in series and then in parallel and show the effective k halves or doubles.
PhysicsMedium
Finding g with a simple pendulum: T² against length graph
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The square of a pendulum’s period is proportional to its length, with slope 4π² / g. The slope of the graph gives the acceleration due to gravity at your place.
You will need
- A small metal ball or a nut as the bob
- Strong thin thread about 1.2 m long
- A stand or a split cork clamp fixed to a door frame or a shelf
- A metre rule and a vernier calliper or a ruler to measure the bob’s diameter
- A phone stopwatch
- A protractor to check small angles
- Graph paper
Safety: Release the bob gently and keep fingers away from the stand. An adult should supervise a tall setup.
Take it further: Measure T for angles of 5, 20, 40 and 60 degrees and see how the period starts to rise at large amplitudes.
PhysicsChallenging
Solar cell I-V curve: maximum power point and fill factor
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A solar cell behaves like a current source up to a knee and then like a diode. Its power peaks at one load, the maximum power point, and the fill factor shows how close the curve is to a perfect rectangle.
You will need
- A small solar panel of about 6 V and 100 to 200 mA (from a garden light or toy shop)
- A 100 ohm rheostat or a set of resistors from 5 ohm to 1 kohm
- Two multimeters (voltage and current)
- Crocodile clips and wires
- A bright sunny spot at noon, or a bright lamp held at a fixed distance
- A cardboard tube or cloth for shading
- Graph paper
Safety: An adult must supervise work outdoors in the heat. Do not touch hot lamps; use only the low voltage panel.
Take it further: Measure the efficiency by dividing the maximum power by the light power on the panel’s area, taking sunlight as about 1000 W per square metre at noon.
PhysicsMedium
Savonius wind turbine from cans: lifting a weight at different wind speeds
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A vertical-axis turbine with two curved scoops spins in a wind, and the turning axle winds up a thread to lift a weight. The useful power it delivers can be compared with the power in the wind, which is ½ ρ A v³.
You will need
- Two halves of a plastic drum or a large bottle cut lengthways, or a cylinder cut in half (about 20 cm tall)
- Two round cardboard or plastic discs as the end plates
- A 30 cm steel rod, a long bolt or a bicycle spoke for the axle, and two bearings made from bottle caps with holes
- A base board and two uprights
- Thread and small weights such as washers, with a paper clip hook
- A table fan at its three speeds, or a strong natural breeze
- A hand anemometer or an anemometer app, and a stopwatch
Safety: An adult must cut the plastic and plug in the fan; keep fingers and hair away from the fan and the spinning turbine.
Take it further: Add a small DC motor as a generator and measure the voltage and current of an LED load at each speed.
PhysicsChallenging
Spoon Pelton wheel: output power and efficiency against water head
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A jet of water hitting spoon-shaped buckets turns a wheel that lifts a weight. The power in the jet is ρ g Q H, and comparing it with the power lifting the weight gives the efficiency.
You will need
- A circular plywood or thick plastic disc about 20 cm across
- Twelve plastic spoons or bottle-cap halves as buckets
- A steel rod or long bolt as the axle, and two bearings from bottle caps
- A large bucket or tank on a raised stand, with a tube of 6 mm bore and a clamp as the nozzle
- A tray and a lower bucket to collect the water
- Thread and washers as the load
- A measuring jug, a stopwatch and a tape measure
Safety: An adult must drill the disc and cut materials; work outdoors or over a tray, and keep any electric device away from water.
Take it further: Replace the lifting load with a small DC motor as a generator and measure the voltage and current to find the electrical output.
BiologyMedium
Counting oxygen bubbles from Hydrilla at different light distances
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A water plant in bright light gives off bubbles of oxygen, because it is making food by photosynthesis. The closer the lamp, the faster the bubbles stream, until another factor limits the rate.
You will need
- A fresh sprig of Hydrilla or another oxygen weed from a pond or aquarium shop
- A large clear glass or beaker
- A glass funnel or a cut clear bottle top
- A small test tube or clear bottle
- A pinch of baking soda
- A table lamp with an LED bulb (not a hot bulb)
- A metre ruler
- A watch or phone timer
Safety: Do not drink the water. An adult must cut the bottle. Use an LED lamp so the water does not heat up, and keep the lamp and plug away from water. Wash hands after touching pond plants.
Take it further: Keep the lamp fixed and warm the water in steps of 5 degrees Celsius in a bowl of warm water to see how temperature affects the bubble rate.
BiologyMedium
Spinach leaf pigments separated on filter paper
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The green colour of a leaf is a mixture of several pigments. When the extract climbs a strip of paper, the pigments travel different distances and show as bands of green, yellow and orange.
You will need
- A few fresh spinach or lettuce leaves
- A coin or the back of a spoon for crushing
- About 10 mL of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or surgical spirit
- A strip of coffee filter paper or chromatography paper 2 cm wide and 15 cm long
- A tall glass or clear jar
- A pencil and a clip or clothes peg
- A small cup and a spoon
Safety: Rubbing alcohol is flammable and its fumes irritate. An adult must handle it, keep it away from flames, work with windows open, and keep it off skin and eyes. Do not use any flame or heater.
Take it further: Compare a green leaf with a fallen yellow leaf and look at which pigments are left in the autumn leaf.
BiologyMedium
Detached leaves left on a tray: which type loses weight fastest?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Leaves lose water to the air, mostly through their stomata. Weighing different leaf types over two days shows how leaf structure affects water loss.
You will need
- One leaf each from spinach, mint, guava and a thick leaf such as jade plant or aloe tip (4 leaf types)
- A digital kitchen or jewellery scale reading to 0.1 g
- A tray lined with a paper towel
- A marker and a notebook
- Paper clips or small labels
- A ruler
Safety: Wash your hands after handling plants and do not eat any leaves used. An adult must cut leaves from plants you do not own.
Take it further: Smear petroleum jelly on the upper side of a second leaf of each type, and see how much it cuts the water loss.
BiologyChallenging
Potometer from a straw and a syringe: still air, fan or shade
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A potometer measures how fast a cut shoot takes up water, which is close to how fast it transpires. Changing wind or light shows which factors speed water loss from leaves.
You will need
- A leafy twig 20 cm long, such as balsam, coleus or mint
- A 5 mL syringe without a needle
- About 30 cm of clear aquarium air tube that fits the syringe tip
- A basin of water and a few drops of food colour
- A ruler or a printed 1 mm scale
- A small table fan
- Petroleum jelly and a clamp or stand
- A stopwatch or phone timer
Safety: An adult must cut the twig with secateurs and handle the fan, keeping it away from water and wires. Do not use mains-powered equipment near spills.
Take it further: Compare the rate for the same shoot before and after you strip off half of the leaves, and calculate rate per unit leaf area.
BiologyMedium
Rhoeo leaf peel: counting stomata and guard cells
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The lower surface of many leaves is dotted with tiny pores called stomata, each between two bean-shaped guard cells. Counting them under a microscope shows where a leaf exchanges gases and water vapour.
You will need
- A fresh Rhoeo (boat lily) or Tradescantia leaf
- A school compound microscope or a phone with a clip-on magnifier lens
- Glass slides and cover slips (or clear tape and a microscope slide)
- A dropper and water
- A fine paintbrush
- Tweezers and a blotting paper
- A notebook for sketches
Safety: Glass slides and cover slips break easily and an adult must supervise their use. An adult must help with the blade, if one is used, to tear or cut the leaf. Wash your hands after handling plants.
Take it further: Compare the stomata density of a Rhoeo leaf with that of a thick succulent such as a jade leaf, which usually has fewer.
BiologyChallenging
Lung volumes measured by water displacement in a bottle
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The air you breathe out can be measured by the water it pushes out of an upturned bottle. It gives your tidal volume and your vital capacity, and shows how they compare between people.
You will need
- A 2 litre clear plastic bottle with a marked scale you make by pouring in known volumes
- A large basin or tub
- About 1 metre of clean plastic tubing
- A permanent marker and a measuring jug
- A fresh disposable straw cut to length, one for each person
- Soapy water and a clean cloth
- A notebook
Safety: Use a fresh straw for every person and wash the tube end with soapy water between users. Do not test anyone with asthma, a cold or breathing trouble. Stop at once if anyone feels dizzy; an adult must supervise.
Take it further: Compare vital capacity before and after four weeks of daily breathing and stretching exercise among willing volunteers.
BiologyMedium
Villi and surface area: flat cloth against a looped towel
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The inside of the small intestine is covered with finger-like villi that give it a very large surface area for absorbing food. A looped towel soaks up much more water than a flat cloth of the same size, just as a villus-lined gut absorbs more.
You will need
- A flat piece of cotton cloth, 10 cm by 10 cm
- A piece of terry towel, 10 cm by 10 cm
- Water with a few drops of food colour
- A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g
- A shallow dish
- A timer
- A notebook
- String or a long cloth strip for the small intestine length model
Safety: An adult must cut the cloth and supervise the scissors. Keep the scale dry.
Take it further: Measure the length of the wrinkles in a folded cloth against a flat cloth to calculate how folding increases the area.
BiologyMedium
Salt and yeast: how much does salt slow a rising dough?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Yeast makes dough rise by fermenting sugar and giving off carbon dioxide. Adding more salt to the dough slows the yeast, so the dough rises less.
You will need
- 4 equal clear tall glasses or cut bottles
- Plain flour (maida or atta), 200 g
- Dry baker’s yeast, 4 small pinches
- Sugar, 4 level teaspoons
- Salt, in measured amounts of 0 g, 0.5 g, 1 g and 2 g
- Warm water (about 30 to 35 degrees Celsius), 120 mL
- A ruler and rubber bands to mark height
- A kitchen scale
Safety: An adult must warm the water, because it must not be hot. Do not eat the raw dough. Wash hands and surfaces after handling it.
Take it further: Keep the salt fixed and repeat with different amounts of sugar to see where the rise is the greatest.
BiologyMedium
Compost bucket temperature log: green waste against a green and brown mix
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Microbes in a compost heap give off heat as they break down waste. A balanced mix of green and brown material, kept moist and aerated, warms up more than green waste alone.
You will need
- Two 10 litre buckets with holes drilled in the sides and the bottom
- Green waste: vegetable and fruit peels, tea leaves (no meat, dairy or cooked food)
- Brown waste: dry leaves, paper torn small, coir
- A thermometer reading to 0.5 degrees Celsius (non-mercury)
- A garden trowel and gloves
- A spray bottle for water
- A notebook
Safety: An adult must drill the holes. Wear gloves and wash hands after handling compost, and wear a mask when turning dry, dusty material. Keep the buckets away from food. Do not add meat, dairy or pet waste.
Take it further: Repeat with different ratios of brown to green, such as 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1, and find which gives the greatest rise.
BiologyMedium
Leaf litter in mesh bags: which leaves rot fastest in soil?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Fallen leaves are broken down by fungi, bacteria and soil animals. Burying equal weights of different leaves in mesh bags and weighing them later shows which kinds decompose faster.
You will need
- Dry fallen leaves of four kinds, for example neem, mango, banyan and teak, or any that you can find
- Four to eight small mesh bags (onion bags or net cloth) about 10 cm by 10 cm
- A scale reading to 0.1 g
- A garden trowel and gloves
- Waterproof labels or plastic tags and string
- A garden bed or large pot of soil
- A notebook
Safety: Wear gloves and wash hands after handling soil and leaves. An adult must supervise the digging if you use tools.
Take it further: Bury another set in a dry sandy soil and compare the loss to the moist garden bed.
BiologyMedium
Catalase in potato: raw, boiled and crushed pieces make different foam
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Living cells make an enzyme, catalase, that breaks hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Raw potato foams strongly when added to dilute peroxide, boiled potato hardly foams, and crushed potato foams fastest.
You will need
- One raw potato
- A pan of boiling water (for the adult)
- 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution from a pharmacy (about 100 mL)
- 4 tall narrow glasses or measuring cylinders
- A few drops of dish soap
- A grater and a knife
- A ruler and a timer
- Goggles and gloves
Safety: Three percent hydrogen peroxide can irritate skin and eyes. An adult must handle and measure it; wear goggles and gloves, never taste it, wash splashes with plenty of water and pour leftovers down the sink. An adult must cut the potato and boil the water.
Take it further: Test the foam from potato pieces kept in ice water, at room temperature and in warm water at 40 degrees Celsius.
BiologyMedium
Fresh and tinned pineapple in jelly: an enzyme that eats protein
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, so it stops gelatin jelly from setting. Tinned or boiled pineapple, whose enzyme has been destroyed by heat, lets the jelly set normally.
You will need
- Gelatin powder (enough for 4 small portions; check the pack for the ratio)
- Fresh pineapple, tinned pineapple and a few pieces of fresh pineapple boiled for 5 minutes
- Four small clear cups
- Hot water (an adult must prepare it)
- A refrigerator
- A spoon, a marker and labels
- A notebook
Safety: An adult must handle the hot water. Fresh pineapple can sting the lips and tongue, so do not taste it in quantity. Gelatin is made from animal protein, so check whether the family avoids it. Do not eat the experiment jellies.
Take it further: Use agar instead of gelatin, which is not a protein, and see whether fresh pineapple affects the setting.
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.