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.
ChemistryMedium
Rate of reaction and concentration: vinegar strength by mass loss
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When baking soda reacts with vinegar, the carbon dioxide escapes and the flask gets lighter. Following the mass on a balance every 30 seconds gives a rate curve, and repeating with diluted vinegar shows that the rate falls as the acid concentration falls, while the total gas depends only on how much acid was present.
You will need
- A digital kitchen or lab balance reading 0.1 g
- A small conical flask or bottle
- Vinegar, 200 ml
- Baking soda, 20 g
- Measuring cylinder and water for dilutions
- A loose cotton wool plug for the flask neck
- A stopwatch and graph paper
Safety: Vinegar is a dilute acid; avoid eyes and wash hands. Never cap the flask tightly while it fizzes; the cotton plug lets gas out but stops spray.
Take it further: Keep the concentration fixed and run the reaction at three temperatures to compare the effect of temperature with that of concentration.
ChemistryMedium
Electroplating a steel key with copper from copper sulphate
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Passing a small current through copper sulphate solution deposits a layer of copper on the object connected to the negative terminal, while the copper anode slowly dissolves to replace the copper ions. A clean steel key or coin comes out with a bright copper coating.
You will need
- Copper sulphate from the school lab, about 25 g dissolved in 250 ml water (teacher prepares)
- A 250 ml beaker or glass jar
- A piece of thick bare copper wire or copper strip as the anode
- A clean steel key or old coin as the object to plate
- A 1.5 V to 4.5 V battery pack with two leads and crocodile clips
- Fine sandpaper, a little detergent and a cloth
- Gloves and safety goggles
Safety: A teacher or adult must prepare the copper sulphate solution and supervise throughout; copper sulphate is harmful if swallowed and irritates skin and eyes, so wear gloves and goggles and wash hands. Use only batteries, never mains, and give the used solution back to the teacher for disposal rather than pouring it down the drain.
Take it further: Plate two keys for 5 and 15 minutes and compare the colour and thickness of the coating.
ChemistryChallenging
Mass of copper deposited against time: testing Faraday’s law
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The mass of copper deposited in electrolysis is proportional to the charge passed, that is current multiplied by time. Weighing the cathode after fixed intervals at a steady current gives a straight line, and the slope lets you estimate Faraday’s constant from school equipment.
You will need
- Copper sulphate solution prepared by the teacher, about 1 mol per litre, 250 ml
- Two copper strips or thick copper wires as electrodes
- A 1.5 V to 3 V battery and a multimeter set to measure current in milliamperes
- A lab balance reading 0.01 g (or 0.001 g if available)
- A beaker, connecting wires, crocodile clips and a stopwatch
- Sandpaper, distilled water for rinsing and tissue
- Gloves and goggles
Safety: Teacher supervision is required; copper sulphate is harmful if swallowed and irritates skin and eyes, so wear gloves and goggles. Use only batteries. Return the used solution to the teacher for disposal.
Take it further: Repeat at double the current and show that the slope of the mass against time line doubles.
ChemistryChallenging
Making coconut oil soap by saponification in the school lab
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Fats and oils are esters of glycerol and fatty acids. Heating coconut oil with sodium hydroxide solution breaks these esters into glycerol and the sodium salts of the fatty acids, which is soap. A small batch sets into a hard bar that is tested for leftover alkali before it is ever used.
You will need
- Coconut oil, 100 g
- Sodium hydroxide pellets, 17 g, weighed and dissolved in 35 ml water by the teacher
- A steel or heat-proof glass bowl, a steel spoon and a thermometer
- A water bath or a hot plate (teacher only)
- A small plastic box or silicone mould lined with paper
- Turmeric indicator or pH paper
- Gloves, goggles and a long-sleeved shirt
Safety: Sodium hydroxide is strongly caustic and this project must be done only in the school lab with the teacher weighing, dissolving and handling the lye. The pellets are always added to water, never water to pellets, because the mixture gets very hot. Everyone wears gloves and goggles, keeps vinegar nearby to rinse any splash on skin, and no one touches the fresh soap bare-handed. The bar is not used on skin until it has cured four weeks and its pH test shows it is mild.
Take it further: Make a second small batch with potassium hydroxide, if the teacher allows, and compare the soft soap it gives with the hard sodium soap.
ChemistryMedium
Soap against detergent: lather height in hard and soft water
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Soap forms insoluble scum with the calcium and magnesium in hard water and lathers poorly, while a synthetic detergent forms soluble calcium salts and lathers almost as well in hard water as in soft. Measuring foam height for both cleaners in water of increasing hardness makes the difference visible and numerical.
You will need
- A plain bathing soap and a liquid or powder detergent
- Distilled or RO water, 1 litre
- Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) from a chemist, or calcium chloride from the school lab, to make hard water
- Six identical test tubes or narrow bottles with stoppers
- A measuring cylinder, a ruler and a balance
- Labels and a notebook
Safety: Epsom salt and calcium chloride are not for eating; wash hands after use. Nothing is heated.
Take it further: Add washing soda to the very hard water before testing soap and show that the foam height recovers.
ChemistryMedium
Which cold drink is most acidic? Baking soda drop count
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Fizzy drinks and juices contain phosphoric, citric and carbonic acids. Counting the drops of a fixed baking soda solution needed to neutralise a measured volume of each drink, watched with a natural indicator, ranks them by acid content and links the result to tooth enamel damage.
You will need
- Small amounts of a cola, a lemon soda, an orange juice, a packaged mango drink and plain water
- Baking soda solution: 5 g dissolved in 100 ml water
- Red cabbage indicator or a few drops of phenolphthalein from the school lab
- A dropper or 1 ml syringe
- A 10 ml syringe or measuring cylinder
- Five white cups or small beakers
- Notebook
Safety: Do not drink any sample after indicator is added. Phenolphthalein, if used, must be handled by the teacher.
Take it further: Measure the pH of each drink with pH paper and discuss why pH and total acid do not rank the drinks in exactly the same order.
ChemistryMedium
pH of tea and coffee against brewing time and added milk
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Tea and coffee are mildly acidic, and the acidity depends on how long they brew and whether milk is added. Measuring pH with indicator paper for black tea, green tea and coffee brewed for different times shows how extraction of acids changes with time and how milk partly neutralises them.
You will need
- Black tea leaves, green tea leaves and instant or filter coffee
- Universal indicator paper or pH strips from the school lab or a chemist
- Hot water (adult pours) and a kettle
- Six identical cups and a timer
- Milk, 50 ml
- A white tile and tweezers for the strips
- A notebook for the table
Safety: An adult must pour the hot water and the brews must cool before any strip is dipped. Do not drink brews that have had indicator strips in them.
Take it further: Measure the pH of the same tea brewed in bottled, tap and borewell water to see whether the water itself shifts the result.
ChemistryMedium
Corrosion rate of iron nails against salt concentration
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Rusting is an electrochemical process that speeds up when the water conducts better. Nails kept in water with 0, 1, 3.5 and 10 percent salt for two weeks, then cleaned and weighed, show that salt accelerates corrosion, which is why vehicles and ships near the sea rust faster, and also that very strong brine slows it again.
You will need
- Eight identical plain iron nails, not galvanised
- Table salt and a balance reading 0.01 g
- Four jars with lids and distilled or boiled cooled water
- A measuring cylinder
- A plastic brush or coarse cloth for cleaning rust
- Sandpaper
- Labels and a notebook
Safety: Nails are sharp; carry them point down. Rust-cleaning should be done over newspaper and hands washed afterwards. No chemicals other than salt and water are used.
Take it further: Repeat with one jar of boiled, cooled water sealed with a layer of oil on top to show that removing oxygen almost stops rusting.
ChemistryMedium
Sacrificial protection: zinc-wrapped against copper-wrapped nails
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An iron nail wrapped with zinc stays bright in salt water because the more reactive zinc corrodes instead, while a nail wrapped with copper rusts faster than a bare nail because copper makes the iron the more reactive partner. This is the chemistry of galvanised sheets and the zinc blocks bolted to ship hulls.
You will need
- Six plain iron nails, sanded bright
- Galvanised (GI) wire or a strip of zinc from the school lab
- Bare copper wire
- Three jars with 3 percent salt water (30 g salt per litre)
- Sandpaper, a balance reading 0.01 g
- A magnifier
- Labels and a notebook
Safety: Nails and wire ends are sharp; an adult should cut the wire. Only salt water is used. Wash hands after handling.
Take it further: Connect a nail to a zinc strip with a wire instead of a wrap, both in the same jar, to show that protection works even when the metals are not touching directly.
ChemistryMedium
Comparing vinegar brands by drop titration with washing soda
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The acetic acid content of vinegar can be compared by titrating a measured volume with a standard washing soda solution until an indicator changes colour. Running three brands and a home-made dilution ranks them by strength and, with a simple calculation, gives an approximate percentage of acid to compare with the label.
You will need
- Three vinegar brands and a 1 to 1 dilution of one of them
- Washing soda (sodium carbonate), 10.6 g dissolved in water and made up to 1 litre, or a solution prepared by the teacher
- Phenolphthalein from the school lab, or red cabbage indicator
- A 1 ml syringe or a dropper with counted drops, and a 5 ml syringe
- Small white cups or conical flasks
- A notebook and calculator
Safety: Vinegar and washing soda solution can irritate eyes; wear goggles if available and wash hands. The teacher handles phenolphthalein. Nothing is tasted.
Take it further: Titrate lemon juice and lime juice the same way and compare their citric acid content, remembering that citric acid gives three hydrogen ions per molecule.
ChemistryMedium
Which antacid neutralises the most acid? A vinegar drop count
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
ChemistryChallenging
Solubility curves: alum rises steeply with heat, salt hardly moves
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Solubility is the mass of solute that dissolves in a fixed amount of water at a given temperature. A plotted curve shows that for alum it rises sharply with temperature, and for common salt it hardly changes.
You will need
- Potash alum (phitkari), 30 g
- Table salt, 60 g
- Two boiling tubes or small steel tumblers
- A thermometer reading to 100 degrees C
- A measuring cylinder of 10 ml or a syringe
- A kitchen scale reading to 0.1 g or better
- A hot water bath on a stove and a spoon
- Graph paper
Safety: An adult must supervise all heating in the water bath and handle hot containers with tongs. Do not taste any solution. Wash hands after the work.
Take it further: Add a third curve for sugar, using larger masses, and compare its shape with the other two.
ChemistryMedium
Charles’s law with a sealed syringe in cold and hot water baths
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A fixed amount of gas at constant pressure expands steadily as its temperature rises. A graph of volume against temperature is a straight line that points to about minus 273 degrees C.
You will need
- A 50 or 60 ml plastic syringe with a smooth plunger (from a medical store)
- A cap or a piece of clay to seal its tip
- Ice, warm water and a kettle of hot water (adult use)
- A large steel bowl or pan
- A thermometer reading to 100 degrees C
- A rubber band to hold the syringe on a ruler
- A drop of cooking oil for the plunger
- Graph paper
Safety: An adult must handle the hot water. Do not use water above 70 degrees C. Do not push the syringe hard against a closed tip, since the plunger can pop out.
Take it further: Keep the temperature fixed and press the plunger by adding known weights to test Boyle’s law, that pressure times volume is constant.
ChemistryChallenging
Vitamin C clock: a colourless mix that turns blue on time
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In a clock reaction nothing seems to happen for a measured time and then the colour changes suddenly. The delay depends on how much vitamin C is present, so the time can be used to measure concentration.
You will need
- A 500 mg or 1000 mg vitamin C tablet, crushed
- Tincture of iodine (2 per cent) from a pharmacy
- Hydrogen peroxide 3 per cent from a pharmacy, 100 ml
- Starch paste: half a teaspoon of corn flour boiled in 100 ml water and cooled
- Five clear glasses and a syringe or dropper for measuring
- A stopwatch and white paper
- Warm and cold water for the temperature test
Safety: An adult must supervise. Tincture of iodine is poisonous if swallowed and stains skin and clothes. Hydrogen peroxide can irritate eyes. Wear gloves and goggles, do not taste anything and keep away from food. Pour waste down the drain with plenty of water only if the adult agrees.
Take it further: Use the graph of known amounts to estimate the vitamin C in a glass of orange juice.
ChemistryMedium
Catalyst race: which kitchen catalyst breaks down hydrogen peroxide fastest?
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Catalysts speed up a reaction without being used up. Yeast and raw potato contain catalase, an enzyme that breaks hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, and the volume of oxygen collected measures how fast it works.
You will need
- Hydrogen peroxide 3 per cent, 150 ml (pharmacy)
- A pinch of dry yeast, 2 g of raw potato paste, 2 g of carrot paste and 2 g of boiled potato paste
- A plastic bottle of 250 ml with a one-hole cork or clay seal
- A pipe or a clean straw pipe and an inverted bottle full of water in a bowl
- A measuring cylinder or syringe
- A stopwatch
- A small spoon for each catalyst
Safety: An adult must supervise. Wear goggles because hydrogen peroxide irritates eyes. Do not seal the reaction bottle completely or it may burst, and do not drink or taste anything. Wash hands afterwards.
Take it further: Test the effect of temperature on yeast by chilling or warming the peroxide to 10, 30 and 50 degrees C.
ChemistryMedium
Daniell cell with a paper salt bridge: measuring 1 volt from two metals
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A chemical cell turns the energy of a redox reaction into electricity. Zinc and copper in their salt solutions, joined by a salt bridge, give a voltage of about 1 volt that falls as the reaction proceeds.
You will need
- A zinc strip (from a dead dry cell case or a galvanised nail ground clean), 5 cm
- A copper strip or thick copper wire, 5 cm
- Copper sulphate, 5 g, in 100 ml of water
- Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) or zinc sulphate, 10 g, in 100 ml of water
- Two glasses
- A strip of filter paper or tissue soaked in table salt solution (the salt bridge)
- A digital multimeter and two crocodile clips
- A red LED for a series test
Safety: An adult must supervise. Copper sulphate is harmful if swallowed and irritates the skin and eyes; wear gloves and goggles. Do not put cells in the mouth. Dispose of the solution as the teacher directs.
Take it further: Replace zinc with an iron nail or an aluminium strip and compare the voltages to build a small electrochemical series.
ChemistryMedium
Dyeing cotton with turmeric and onion skin: does a mordant help?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Many natural dyes wash out of cotton unless a mordant is used. A mordant such as alum forms a link between the dye and the fibre, making the colour stronger and more lasting.
You will need
- 4 pieces of white cotton cloth, 10 cm by 10 cm each
- Turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons, and dry onion skins, a handful
- Alum (phitkari), 3 g
- A steel pan, a spoon and a stove (adult)
- Water
- Mild soap or detergent
- A clothes line and sunny place
- Labels and a notebook
Safety: An adult must supervise all heating. Use tongs, because the cloth and water are hot. Do not use cooking pans afterwards for food. Do not taste the dye or alum.
Take it further: Try tea, marigold petals and beetroot and record which dyes are fast to washing and to light.
ChemistryMedium
Spinach leaf pigments separated by paper chromatography with Rf values
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A green leaf contains several pigments. Paper chromatography separates them because they travel up the paper at different speeds, and the ratio of distances, the Rf value, identifies each one.
You will need
- Fresh spinach or other leaves, 3 to 4
- Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) 70 per cent or higher, 50 ml
- Strips of filter paper or coffee filter, 2 cm by 15 cm
- A tall glass or jar and a pencil to hang the strip
- A coin or a spoon for crushing the leaf
- A ruler
- A small cup and clear tape
- A lid or foil to cover the jar
Safety: An adult must supervise. Rubbing alcohol is flammable and its fumes irritate. Work in a ventilated space with no flame, stove or candle nearby. Do not taste it and keep it away from children.
Take it further: Compare pigments of a green leaf, a red amaranth leaf and a dry autumn leaf to see which pigments are missing.
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.