Science projects
Your Science Exhibition Guide
Choose a project, build it, present it and answer the judges with confidence
Science project idea finder
1029 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. 930 ideas have numbered steps and viva questions on their own page.
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.332 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
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.
BiologyMedium
Mendel with coins: tossing a pea cross to find the 3 to 1 ratio
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When two hybrid tall pea plants are crossed, each offspring gets one gene copy from each parent at random. Tossing two coins 100 times copies this and shows the 1 to 2 to 1 genotype and 3 to 1 appearance ratios.
You will need
- Two coins of the same kind
- A table to record the tosses
- A pen or pencil
- A calculator
- Graph paper
- A group of classmates to pool results
- A chart of the cross written as a Punnett square
Take it further: Use two pairs of coins of different kinds for two traits, such as seed shape and colour, and find the 9 to 3 to 3 to 1 ratio for a dihybrid cross.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
LED strings on a 9 V battery: working out resistors for series and parallel
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Three red LEDs in series share one resistor and draw one LED worth of current, while three in parallel each need their own resistor and draw three times as much. Working out the resistor with R = (supply minus LED voltages) divided by current shows why.
You will need
- Six red LEDs (about 2 V each)
- Three 680 Ω resistors and one 330 Ω resistor
- A 9 V battery with snap connector
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A multimeter if available, otherwise judge by brightness
- A notebook for sums
Safety: Battery power only. Never connect a bare LED straight across a battery: it can burn out in a moment.
Take it further: Try a string of four red LEDs and see what the maths says about the largest string a 9 V battery can drive.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Weak cell finder: loaded and unloaded voltage of old and new AA cells
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A cell that reads 1.4 V with nothing connected can still be nearly flat, because its internal resistance has grown. A voltage reading while it lights a small bulb shows the true condition.
You will need
- Four AA cells of different ages (new, half used, old, a dead one)
- A 2.5 V torch bulb with holder
- A multimeter
- Two crocodile clip wires
- A single AA cell holder
- A notebook
Safety: Use only small cells and a torch bulb. Never connect a cell directly across itself with a wire: it heats the wire and drains the cell quickly.
Take it further: Repeat with two cells in series and see whether the internal resistance simply adds.
Electronics and roboticsEasy
Pencil lead rheostat that dims an LED as the clip slides along the graphite
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Graphite conducts, but not as well as copper. The longer the length of lead the current has to pass through, the more resistance it has, so the LED gets dimmer as you move the clip away.
You will need
- A soft 6B or 4B pencil, sharpened at both ends with the wood shaved to expose the lead
- Two crocodile clips or paper clips
- One red LED and a 100 Ω resistor
- A 2 x AA battery holder with two cells
- A ruler
- Insulated wires
Safety: Cells only. Sharpen with an adult nearby. The graphite dust is messy: wash your hands afterwards.
Take it further: Draw a thick pencil line on paper and measure its resistance as a function of length and width.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Measuring the current gain of a BC547 with a 1 MΩ and a 1 kΩ resistor
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A transistor turns a very small base current into a much larger collector current. The ratio Ic / Ib, called the current gain, can be found with a multimeter and two resistors.
You will need
- Three BC547 transistors from the same pack
- A 1 MΩ resistor and a 1 kΩ resistor
- A 9 V battery with snap connector
- A multimeter
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A notebook for a table
Safety: Battery power only. Check the transistor legs before connecting: with the flat face towards you they are collector, base, emitter from left to right.
Take it further: Warm one transistor gently with your fingers and watch the collector voltage fall as the gain rises.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Voltage divider board: measured against calculated voltages with a 10 kΩ load
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Two resistors in series share a voltage in proportion to their sizes. A load connected to the output pulls the voltage down, which is why dividers are not power supplies.
You will need
- Resistors: 1 kΩ, 4.7 kΩ, 10 kΩ (three of them), 47 kΩ
- A 9 V battery with snap connector
- A multimeter
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A notebook for a results table
Safety: Battery power only. Do not short the battery terminals; it gets hot.
Take it further: Use a 10 kΩ potentiometer as an adjustable divider and plot output against knob position.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
How fast a toy motor spins with one, two, three and four AA cells
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The speed of a DC motor rises almost in proportion to the voltage across it. More cells in series give more speed and also a larger current.
You will need
- A DC toy motor rated 6 V or more
- A 4 x AA battery holder with four cells and a lead to tap each stage, or four single holders
- A coloured paper flag on the shaft
- A multimeter for current and voltage
- A phone camera with slow motion video
- A notebook
Safety: Cells only. Do not let the motor stall while switched on: it gets hot and the current rises sharply. Keep the flag small and light.
Take it further: Repeat with a small load, such as a cardboard propeller, and see how the lines change.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
One LED used as a light sensor that switches a second LED through a BC547
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
An LED is a diode that makes light when current passes, but in strong light it also makes a small voltage itself. A transistor can use this voltage to switch another LED on, so one LED acts as a light sensor.
You will need
- A clear 5 mm red LED (the sensor)
- A second LED of any colour with a 470 Ω resistor
- One BC547 transistor
- A 9 V battery with snap connector
- A multimeter, a bright torch or phone flash, and a breadboard
Safety: Battery power only. Do not look straight into a bright torch.
Take it further: Use two BC547s as a Darlington pair so that room light is enough to switch the indicator.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Capacitor charging curve plotted from a multimeter and a stopwatch
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A capacitor charges quickly at first and then more slowly, following an exponential curve. The time constant RC is the time to reach about 63 percent of the supply voltage.
You will need
- A 1000 µF 16 V electrolytic capacitor
- A 100 kΩ resistor
- A 9 V battery with snap connector
- A multimeter on DC volts
- A stopwatch or phone
- A breadboard, wires, a push button and graph paper
Safety: Battery power only. Fit the electrolytic capacitor with its negative leg to ground. Discharge it with a short wire through a 1 kΩ resistor, not with a bare short circuit.
Take it further: Discharge the capacitor through the same resistor and plot the falling curve, then compare half-life with 0.69 RC.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Propeller thrust test: how blade angle and blade number change the push
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A propeller pushes air backwards and is pushed forwards in return. The size of the push depends on how many blades there are and how they are angled to the air.
You will need
- A DC toy motor with a small shaft adapter
- Cut-out plastic bottle blades in sets of two, three and four
- A 2 x AA battery holder with two cells and a switch
- A cardboard platform on a kitchen scale (reads grams)
- Cardboard to make a hub, glue and a protractor
- A notebook
Safety: Cells only. Cut plastic blades with an adult and sand the edges. Keep your face and hair away from the spinning propeller, and always put a card guard around it.
Take it further: Use the best propeller to drive a lightweight cardboard hovercraft or a toy fan-boat.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Reaction time tester with random delay and false start detection (Arduino)
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The time between a light and your button press is your reaction time, usually around 0.2 to 0.3 seconds. A microcontroller timer measures it to a thousandth of a second, so you can compare people and conditions.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or compatible board
- A green LED, a red LED and two 220 Ω resistors
- A big push button
- A 16 x 2 I2C LCD (or use the Serial Monitor)
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A notebook for results
Safety: USB power only.
Take it further: Add a buzzer and compare light and sound reaction times for the same people.
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Fingertip pulse sensor showing heartbeats on the Serial Plotter and a beat LED
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Each heartbeat changes the amount of blood in the fingertip, and so changes how much light passes through or reflects. A green LED and a light sensor see this tiny change, which the Arduino turns into a beat rate.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or compatible board
- A pulse sensor module (analog, 3 to 5 V)
- A red LED and a 220 Ω resistor
- A 16 x 2 I2C LCD or the Serial Plotter
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A velcro strap or tape
Safety: USB power only. This is a school demonstration, not a medical device. Do not use it to decide anything about health.
Take it further: Record pulse every minute for ten minutes during rest and after exercise and plot the recovery curve.
Electronics and roboticsMedium
Two-gate speed meter that times a toy car with infrared sensors
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Speed is distance divided by time. Two infrared beams a known distance apart start and stop a timer as a car passes, so its speed can be found to a good accuracy and compared with a stopwatch.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or compatible board
- Two infrared obstacle sensor modules
- A 16 x 2 I2C LCD
- A toy car and a ramp (a board and books)
- A metre ruler and tape
- A breadboard and jumper wires
Safety: USB power only.
Take it further: Use three gates to measure the acceleration of the car on the ramp.
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Barometer and altimeter with a BMP280 that detects which floor you are on
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Air pressure falls with height, by about 12 pascals for each metre near the ground. A BMP280 sensor can measure this so precisely that it can tell one floor of a building from the next.
You will need
- An Arduino Uno or Nano
- A BMP280 pressure sensor module (check whether it is 3.3 V or has a 5 V regulator)
- A 0.96 inch OLED display (SSD1306, I2C)
- A power bank
- A breadboard and jumper wires
- A notebook, a tape measure
Safety: USB power only. Check the voltage rating of the BMP280 module: a bare 3.3 V chip is damaged by 5 V.
Take it further: Carry it in a bag to a hill station and compare the altitude reading with a map height.
Electronics and roboticsChallenging
Wi-Fi signal strength heat map of a room measured with an ESP32
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The strength of a radio signal, measured as RSSI in dBm, falls with distance and with obstacles like walls. Measuring it at grid points shows dead spots and where a router should be placed.
You will need
- An ESP32 development board
- A power bank and USB cable
- A 0.96 inch OLED display (optional)
- A tape measure and chalk or masking tape
- Squared paper or a spreadsheet
- Your own home or school Wi-Fi router (with permission)
Safety: USB power only. Only measure your own network or one you have permission to use. Do not try to connect to other people’s Wi-Fi.
Take it further: Add a distance-travelled estimate with an MPU6050 and walk the ESP32 around to draw the map automatically.
ChemistryMedium
Which antacid neutralises the most acid? A vinegar drop count
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Antacids are bases or salts of weak acids that react with acid and neutralise it. Counting how many drops of vinegar one tablet can neutralise lets you compare brands fairly, per tablet and per gram.
You will need
- 3 to 4 different antacid tablets from a pharmacy (used only for testing, never eaten)
- White vinegar, 100 ml
- Red cabbage indicator, 20 ml (boil chopped cabbage in water and strain)
- A dropper or a clean pen refill tube
- 4 small glasses
- A teaspoon and a mortar or a spoon for crushing
- A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g (a jeweller’s shop will weigh for you)
- A notebook and a white paper background
Safety: An adult must supervise. Do not eat the tablets or any solution you make. Wash hands after crushing the tablets and do not touch your eyes.
Take it further: Compare milk of magnesia, baking soda and chalk powder as antacids per gram and say which is the most effective base by mass.
ChemistryMedium
How much calcium carbonate is in an eggshell? Mass loss in vinegar
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Eggshell is mostly calcium carbonate. When it reacts with vinegar it gives off carbon dioxide, so the loss in mass of the flask tells you how much calcium carbonate was present.
You will need
- 3 to 4 clean dry eggshells, crushed to powder (kitchen waste)
- White vinegar, 250 ml
- A wide jar or conical flask of 500 ml
- A scale reading to 0.1 g or better
- A paper cup for the powder
- A piece of cotton wool or loosely folded foil to cover the mouth
- A spoon and a notebook
Safety: An adult must supervise. The mixture froths strongly, so use a jar much bigger than the liquid. Wash hands after handling raw eggshell because it can carry germs.
Take it further: Repeat with chalk, marble chips and a sea shell, and compare the percentage of calcium carbonate in each.
ChemistryMedium
Hot or cold? Temperature change when different solids dissolve
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Dissolving some solids makes the water colder (endothermic) and dissolving others makes it warmer (exothermic). The reason is the balance between the energy needed to break the solid apart and the energy released as water surrounds the particles.
You will need
- A thermometer reading to 0.5 or 1 degree
- 2 foam or paper cups nested together as a simple calorimeter
- A measuring cylinder or syringe for 50 ml of water
- Garden urea, baking soda, citric acid, table salt and sugar, 5 g of each
- Dehumidifier calcium chloride crystals, 5 g (adult only)
- A stopwatch and a spoon
- A kitchen scale
Safety: An adult must supervise and handle the calcium chloride and urea with gloves and wear goggles. Do not taste any chemical and wash hands afterwards. Calcium chloride is an irritant and can become hot.
Take it further: Estimate the heat absorbed using q = mass of water x 4.18 x temperature change and compare the values per gram of each solid.
ChemistryMedium
Iron nail in copper sulphate: weighing the copper that appears
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A more reactive metal pushes a less reactive metal out of its salt solution. Iron displaces copper from copper sulphate, and the mass of copper formed can be compared with the mass of iron used.
You will need
- A clean iron nail, about 5 to 6 g (rub with sandpaper)
- Copper sulphate crystals, 5 g (from an agri or lab supply shop)
- A glass of 100 ml and warm water
- A scale reading to 0.01 g if possible (a jeweller can weigh it)
- A strip of aluminium foil and a piece of copper wire for comparison
- Paper towel
- A spoon and a notebook
Safety: An adult must supervise. Copper sulphate is harmful if swallowed and irritates eyes and skin, so wear gloves and goggles and keep it away from food and children. Pour waste into a labelled container for the teacher, not down the drain.
Take it further: Test a zinc strip, a magnesium ribbon and a piece of tin foil in the same solution and rank the metals from most to least reactive.
ChemistryMedium
Cooling curve of candle wax: where the temperature stops falling
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When liquid wax freezes it gives out latent heat, so the temperature stays nearly steady while it solidifies. The flat part of the cooling curve marks the freezing point.
You will need
- A lab thermometer reading to 110 degrees C
- Pieces of ordinary candle wax, about 20 g
- A test tube or a small steel tumbler
- A steel pan of hot water for a water bath
- A stopwatch or phone timer
- A clamp or a clothes peg on a stand to hold the tube
- Graph paper
Safety: An adult must supervise. Heat the wax only in a water bath, never over a flame, because wax can catch fire. Hot water scalds, so use tongs or a cloth, and keep the thermometer away from the flame or hot plate.
Take it further: Repeat with ice made from salty water and compare the freezing point and the shape of the curve with pure water.
ChemistryMedium
Does salt raise the boiling point of water? A measured test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A dissolved solid raises the boiling point of water, and the rise grows with the amount of solute. This is called boiling point elevation and is a colligative property.
You will need
- A lab thermometer reading to 110 degrees C
- A steel pan of 500 ml and a gas stove or induction plate
- Table salt: 0, 25, 50, 100 and 150 g in separate packets
- A kitchen scale
- A clamp and stand, or a long spoon to hold the thermometer away from the base
- A measuring jug
- A notebook
Safety: An adult must do all the heating and handle the boiling water. Keep children away from the stove. Do not touch the pan, and do not let the thermometer rest on the hot base. Let the pan cool fully before pouring.
Take it further: Repeat with sugar and compare the effect per mole to show that ions count separately.
ChemistryChallenging
Phitkari loses nearly half its mass: water of crystallisation
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Crystals of potash alum contain water locked in their structure. On heating the water is driven off as steam and the crystal puffs up into a white powder that weighs much less than before.
You will need
- 3 to 5 g of potash alum (phitkari) crystals
- A clean steel spoon or a small tin lid
- A kitchen gas stove (adult use only)
- A scale reading to 0.01 g or a jeweller’s scale
- A pair of tongs
- A dry plate to cool the sample
- A calculator
Safety: An adult must do all the heating. Use tongs, because the metal gets very hot. Keep your face away from the steam and the puffed powder. Do not taste the alum, and wash hands afterwards.
Take it further: Do the same with copper sulphate crystals, noting the blue to white colour change, if your teacher can supervise it in a lab.
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.