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.
MathsMedium
Area under a curve by rectangles and trapeziums before the integral
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The area under a curve can be approximated by many thin strips. The more strips used, the closer the sum is to the definite integral.
You will need
- Graph paper with 1 mm squares
- A pencil and ruler
- Coloured pencils
- A calculator
- A table of values for y = x squared
- Scissors and glue for a cut-out comparison
- A thin card to cut out the shape
Safety: An adult should supervise the use of scissors for younger students.
Take it further: Repeat for y = sin x from 0 to 180 degrees, with x in radians, and see that the area is exactly 2.
MathsMedium
Speed of a toy car from tangents to its distance-time graph
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The slope of a distance-time graph at a point is the instantaneous speed, which is the derivative of distance with respect to time. A car on a ramp that speeds up gives a curve whose tangents get steeper.
You will need
- A toy car
- A wooden plank or board about 1.5 m long, propped at a small angle
- A metre tape
- A phone for slow-motion video with a clock or timer app
- Chalk to mark each 10 cm along the ramp
- Graph paper
- A transparent ruler
Safety: Do the experiment on the floor, away from stairs. Keep fingers clear of the car and the ramp end.
Take it further: Increase the ramp angle and show that the acceleration changes with the sine of the angle.
MathsChallenging
Hanging chain or hanging bridge? Catenary and parabola compared
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A chain hanging under its own weight forms a catenary, while a cable carrying a load spread evenly along the horizontal, as in a suspension bridge, forms a parabola. The two curves look alike but have different equations.
You will need
- A light bead chain or a thin metal chain, 1 m
- Two nails or drawing pins on a board
- A pegboard or a notice board covered with graph paper
- A string, 1 m, and 11 equal washers or nuts
- Sticky tape, a ruler and a plumb line
- A phone to photograph the curves square on
- A spreadsheet or a calculator with cosh
Safety: An adult must help with nails and pins. Use a cork board and keep the board flat or upright so nothing falls on feet.
Take it further: Invert a photo of the hanging chain and build the arch from card strips to show that it stays up under load.
MathsMedium
Two bags of beads: conditional probability and Bayes by experiment
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When you know which colour was drawn, you can work backwards to the chance of which bag it came from. The experiment shows how new information updates a probability.
You will need
- Two opaque cloth bags or cups
- 3 red and 1 blue bead for bag A, 1 red and 3 blue beads for bag B (or coloured paper pieces)
- A coin to choose the bag
- A tally table
- A tree diagram on chart paper
- A calculator
- A pencil
Safety: Keep small beads away from young children and do not put them in the mouth.
Take it further: Apply the same rule to a medical test that is 95 per cent accurate for a disease affecting 1 per cent of people, and compute the chance of disease given a positive test.
MathsMedium
Range against launch angle: does 45 degrees really go farthest?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
For a projectile launched at the same speed from ground level, the range is proportional to sin 2 theta, which is greatest at 45 degrees. Equal ranges occur for angles that add up to 90 degrees.
You will need
- A ruler catapult: a ruler pivoted on a pencil with a rubber band, or a simple spring launcher
- A soft foam or paper ball
- A protractor and a cardboard ramp to set angles
- A tape measure on the floor
- Chalk
- A table of angle and range
- Graph paper and a calculator
Safety: Use only soft balls and launch in an open area with no one in front. Wear eye protection and never aim at anyone.
Take it further: Use the slope to calculate the launch speed and check it by timing the ball over a short flat distance.
Earth and spaceMedium
Measuring the Earth’s circumference from shadows in two cities
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Eratosthenes found the size of the Earth by comparing noon shadows at two places a known distance apart. You can repeat it with a friendly school in another city to find the Earth’s circumference.
You will need
- A straight vertical stick, 1 m, set up with a plumb line
- A level piece of ground or a board
- A tape measure and a pencil
- A partner school in a city due north or south, at least 300 km away
- A map or distance table between the two cities
- A watch showing correct local time
- Graph paper
Safety: Do not look at the Sun. Measure only the shadow. Work with an adult in an open, safe area.
Take it further: Use several partner schools at different distances and plot the angle difference against the distance to show a straight line.
Earth and spaceMedium
Find your latitude with a straw, a protractor and the Pole Star
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The height of the Pole Star above the horizon is nearly equal to your latitude in the northern hemisphere. A homemade angle measurer can show your place on Earth.
You will need
- A protractor with a hole at its centre
- A drinking straw taped along its straight edge
- A thread of 20 cm with a nut as a plumb weight
- A star chart or a free sky app to find the Pole Star
- A torch with a red cover for reading
- A notebook
- An atlas or phone map for the latitude of your town
Safety: An adult must come along for night work. Choose a safe open space away from roads and wear mosquito protection.
Take it further: Photograph the sky with a phone on a tripod for 30 seconds to catch short star trails turning round the Pole Star.
Earth and spaceChallenging
Noon shadow tip marked every week: the analemma figure-eight
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
If you mark the tip of a stick’s shadow at the same clock time each week, the marks form a long thin figure-eight called the analemma. It combines the Earth’s tilted axis with its elliptical orbit.
You will need
- A vertical stick or nail on a flat board, 20 cm tall
- A large sheet of white paper fixed under the stick
- A spirit level or plumb line
- A phone clock set to an accurate time
- A pencil and ruler
- A small compass to align north
- Tape
Safety: Do not look at the Sun. Keep the board where nobody trips on it and where it will not be moved.
Take it further: Use the lengths of the noon shadow on both solstices to calculate the Earth’s axial tilt from the two noon altitudes.
Earth and spaceMedium
Diameter of the Sun from a pinhole image on a card
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The Sun’s image through a small hole is a circle whose size depends on the distance to the screen. Using similar triangles with the Sun’s distance gives its real diameter, about 1.4 million km.
You will need
- A thick card with a neat 1 mm to 2 mm hole made with a pin
- A second white card as a screen
- A tape measure of 2 m
- A transparent ruler marked in millimetres
- A stand or books to hold the cards
- A calculator
- A notebook
Safety: Never look at the Sun, even through the hole, binoculars or a telescope. Only look at the image on the white card, with your back to the Sun. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Use the same angle to explain why total solar eclipses are possible, since the Moon is 400 times smaller but 400 times nearer than the Sun.
Earth and spaceMedium
Kepler’s third law: plotting T squared against a cubed for the planets
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun. Plotting real data for the six naked-eye planets gives a straight line of slope 1 when the units are years and astronomical units.
You will need
- A table of planetary data from a textbook or a science website
- Graph paper, preferably log-log
- A calculator
- A ruler
- Coloured pens
- A spreadsheet if available
- A strip of paper to make a scale drawing
Safety: No special safety. Use only reliable data from a book or an observatory website and write the source.
Take it further: Use the Moon’s distance and period or the data of Jupiter’s four large moons to find the mass of the planet from the law.
Earth and spaceMedium
Parallax: measuring distance to a tree with a thumb and your eyes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A nearby object appears to shift against a far background when you view it from two places. Measuring the shift and the baseline gives its distance, the same method astronomers use for nearby stars.
You will need
- A measuring tape of 5 m or more
- A long straight ruler or a marked stick
- A nearby object such as a tree, pole or post on open ground
- A distant background such as a building or hill
- Two flags or pencils for baseline ends
- A phone camera on a tripod or steady surface
- A calculator with tan inverse
Safety: Do the work in a safe open space away from traffic and ask an adult to supervise. Do not look at the Sun.
Take it further: Estimate the distance to a hill or a building at least 500 m away using a baseline of 20 m and compare with a map.
Earth and spaceMedium
Counting stars in a tube: a light pollution survey of your town
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The number of stars you can see falls when street lights and glare brighten the sky. Counting stars in a fixed patch of sky at different places gives a simple measure of light pollution.
You will need
- A cardboard tube such as a kitchen roll, painted black inside
- A star chart or an app showing the Pleiades and Orion’s belt
- A notebook and a red torch
- A watch
- A map of your area
- A friend and an adult
- A table for place, time, count and sky condition
Safety: An adult must go with you at night. Choose safe open places, keep away from roads and ditches, and use a red torch to protect your night vision.
Take it further: Repeat at the same place on a moonless and a full-moon night and find how much the Moon reduces the count.
EnvironmentMedium
Carbon footprint of the journey to school: petrol, bus, bicycle and walking
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Burning fuel makes carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. By linking distance, mileage and fuel type you can estimate how much CO2 each way of getting to school sends into the air.
You will need
- A survey sheet for classmates with mode of travel, distance and vehicle type
- A map or a phone to measure the home to school distance
- Fuel mileage values from the vehicle owner or a mileage sticker
- A calculator or a spreadsheet
- Chart paper for a bar chart
- A list of CO2 per litre of fuel
- A notebook
Safety: Do not ask for names or addresses, and only use data that students share willingly. Use code numbers instead of names.
Take it further: Estimate how many trees would be needed to absorb the class’s yearly travel CO2, taking about 20 kg of CO2 absorbed per tree per year for a mature tree.
EnvironmentMedium
Urban heat island: temperatures on road, roof, grass and under a tree
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Dark paved surfaces absorb more sunlight and warm up more than grass or shade. Mapping temperatures across a school or street shows how towns become hotter than the countryside.
You will need
- A thermometer reading to 100 degrees C, or two if possible
- An infrared thermometer if the school has one
- A small square of white card to shade the bulb
- A watch and a notebook
- A clipboard and a site sketch
- A tape measure
- A cap and water bottle
Safety: An adult must supervise, especially in hot weather. Do not touch very hot surfaces with bare hands. Wear a hat and drink water, and stay on footpaths away from traffic.
Take it further: Repeat the transect in summer and winter and compare, or measure a roof before and after it is painted white.
EnvironmentMedium
Dissolved solids in ten water sources measured with a TDS meter
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Water carries dissolved salts that conduct electricity. A TDS meter reads the conductivity and converts it into parts per million, so different sources can be compared.
You will need
- A pen-type TDS meter (about Rs 300 to 400)
- Ten clean glass or plastic cups
- Samples of tap water, bore well water, RO water, bottled water, rainwater, a pond, boiled water and distilled water
- A marker and labels
- A notebook
- Distilled water from a medical store for rinsing
- A thermometer
Safety: Do not drink any sample you collect from ponds or wells. Collect samples with an adult and wash hands after handling them. Do not enter water bodies.
Take it further: Track the TDS of the same bore well or pond every week through the monsoon and plot a graph.
EnvironmentMedium
How fast does rain soak in? Infiltration rate with a tin-can ring
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Soil takes in water at a certain speed, called its infiltration rate. Measuring it in the playground, a field and a forest floor shows why some ground floods while other ground soaks up the monsoon.
You will need
- 3 tin cans with both ends removed (an adult must cut and file edges), 7 to 10 cm wide
- A wooden block and a hammer or mallet
- A measuring cup
- A 2 litre bottle of water per test
- A stopwatch
- A ruler
- A notebook
Safety: An adult must remove the can ends and file the sharp edges or cover them with tape. Wear gloves when pushing the ring into the soil and keep fingers clear of the hammer.
Take it further: Measure infiltration before and after a day of rain and see how wet soil slows the rate.
EnvironmentChallenging
How much carbon does the school’s biggest tree store? Girth and height
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A tree stores carbon taken from the air in its wood. Measuring its girth and height gives a rough estimate of its wood volume, mass and the carbon dioxide it has removed from the air.
You will need
- A measuring tape or a long string and a ruler
- A clinometer or a protractor with a plumb line
- A friend to measure a distance on the ground
- A calculator
- A list of wood densities for common trees from a forestry website
- A notebook
- A tree to measure, with permission
Safety: Do not climb trees. Measure from the ground, keep away from dead branches and ant nests, and work with an adult.
Take it further: Estimate the total carbon in all the trees of the school campus with a tree census and a formula.
EnvironmentMedium
How strong is sunshine? Watts per square metre from a blackened can
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Sunlight carries energy. By measuring how fast the sunshine warms a known mass of water, you can estimate the power per square metre that reaches the ground, which is a guide to solar energy.
You will need
- A small aluminium can or steel katori painted matt black on the outside
- Exactly 100 g of water (100 ml)
- A thermometer reading to 0.5 degree
- A stopwatch
- A ruler to measure the face area of the can
- A card to aim at the Sun, with a stand
- A foam or cloth wrap for the sides to reduce heat loss
Safety: Do not look at the Sun. Wear a hat and take care with the hot can. Do not use hot water above 60 degrees C.
Take it further: Compare black, white and aluminium foil cans and find how much of the light each absorbs.
EnvironmentMedium
Evaporation from pans in sun, shade and wind: millimetres a day
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water leaves open surfaces at a rate set by heat, wind and humidity. Daily readings from identical pans show how much water a field or a tank loses and why crops need irrigation in summer.
You will need
- 4 identical shallow steel or plastic pans, 25 cm wide
- A ruler marked in millimetres or a long nail with a scale
- A measuring jug
- Water
- A thermometer
- A stand to keep pans at the same height
- Mesh to stop birds drinking and a notebook
Safety: Place the pans where they will not be tipped over, away from young children, and empty them after the test to prevent mosquito breeding.
Take it further: Compare your pan data with the rainfall record for the same weeks and decide whether rain or evaporation is bigger in your area.
EnvironmentMedium
Weighing a fortnight of food waste: what we throw away and why
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Food thrown away takes land, water and energy to produce, and it makes methane when it rots in a landfill. Weighing waste every day shows how much is wasted and where it comes from.
You will need
- A kitchen scale reading to 5 g
- Two plastic buckets with lids and labels (avoidable and unavoidable waste)
- Disposable gloves
- A notebook or spreadsheet
- A hand wash soap
- A permission note from the cook or canteen
- Chart paper
Safety: Wear gloves, wash hands with soap after weighing and keep the buckets lidded. Do not eat or sort food waste with bare hands. Take permission from your family or canteen staff.
Take it further: Start a compost pit with the unavoidable waste and track the temperature and the volume as it turns into manure.
Computing and codingMedium
Python to-do list that saves tasks in a text file
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Tasks are written to a file and read back, so the list is still there the next time the program runs. It teaches file handling 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)
- An empty folder to keep todo.py and the todo.txt file that the program will create
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Store a due date with each task and sort the list so the nearest date comes first.
Computing and codingMedium
Python text adventure: find the lost key in the school
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A dictionary of rooms links each place to the others, and a loop moves the player between them. It shows how data structures can describe a whole game world.
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 rough map of six rooms drawn on paper
- A notebook and a pencil
Take it further: Add an inventory list and objects in rooms that the player can take with a take command.
Computing and codingEasy
Python daily diary that adds dated entries to a file
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The program appends each entry with today’s date to a file and can print the whole diary. It teaches the date module and the append and read modes of files.
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: Add a password check at the start using a stored word so that only you can read the diary.
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.