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.
ChemistryChallenging
Hot ice: making sodium acetate that freezes warm from baking soda
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A supersaturated solution holds more solute than it normally should. Touching it with one seed crystal sets off fast crystallisation that gives out heat, so the liquid turns into a warm solid.
You will need
- White vinegar, 1 litre
- Baking soda, 4 tablespoons
- A wide steel pan
- A stove (adult only)
- A clean glass jar with a lid and a clean saucer
- A spoon and a small piece of paper
- A fridge for cooling
- A thermometer if possible
Safety: An adult must supervise and do all boiling. Vinegar fumes irritate the eyes and the pan can overflow with fizzing, so add soda a little at a time in a ventilated room. Do not taste the product. The hot solution can scald, so cool it before pouring.
Take it further: Measure the temperature rise with a thermometer and compare it for different amounts of solution.
ChemistryMedium
Bohr atom models for the first ten elements with beads and wire
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Electrons fill shells around the nucleus in order: two in the first shell and up to eight in the second. The models show how this explains the valency of the first ten elements.
You will need
- Thermocol balls or clay for nuclei
- Different coloured beads for protons, neutrons and electrons
- Thin wire or cardboard circles as shells
- A cardboard base
- Glue
- Markers
Safety: An adult must cut the wire and thermocol. Avoid sharp wire ends.
Take it further: Add the next ten elements with a third shell and see how sodium and chlorine can form a bond.
ChemistryEasy
Ball and stick molecules of water, CO2 and methane from clay and sticks
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Atoms join to form molecules in fixed shapes. Water is bent, carbon dioxide is straight and methane is a tetrahedron, which affects their properties.
You will need
- Clay or dough in 3 colours
- Toothpicks or matchsticks without heads
- An egg tray to keep the parts
- Chart paper
- Markers
- Glue
Safety: Use only toothpicks or matchsticks with the heads removed by an adult. Keep small parts from young children.
Take it further: Make ethene or benzene using flexible wire for double bonds.
ChemistryMedium
Periodic table wall chart of the first 20 elements with shell cups
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Elements in the same column have the same number of outer electrons and similar properties. The chart shows the pattern of metals, non-metals and noble gases.
You will need
- A large chart paper or the back of an old flex banner
- Egg tray cups cut singly
- Poster paint in four colours
- Beads for electrons
- Glue and a marker
- A ruler
Safety: An adult must cut the egg tray and flex. Keep beads away from small children.
Take it further: Extend the chart to the next 10 elements and add their common uses.
ChemistryMedium
Does salt or sugar change the boiling point of water?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Dissolved salt or sugar raises the boiling point of water by a small amount that grows with the number of dissolved particles. You measure the rise with a lab thermometer and compare it with the tiny amount people imagine when they salt cooking water.
You will need
- A steel pan or small vessel
- A lab thermometer reading up to 110 C (borrow from school)
- Common salt, 4 spoons
- Sugar, 4 spoons
- A measuring cup and 4 cups of water
- A gas stove or induction plate (adult only)
- Notebook and a clock
Safety: An adult must run the stove and hold the pan, because boiling water and steam cause bad burns. The thermometer must hang from a stand or clamp and never rest on the pan bottom. Keep children at arm length from the steam.
Take it further: Compare your readings with the calculated rise using 0.5 C per mole of dissolved particles in a kilogram of water.
ChemistryEasy
Ice cream in a bag: why salted ice gets colder than ice
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Salt dissolving in the thin layer of melt water on ice lowers its freezing point, so the ice bath drops below 0 C and freezes a sweet milk mixture into soft ice cream. A thermometer shows how much colder salted ice gets.
You will need
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 spoons sugar and a few drops of vanilla, optional
- 2 strong zip bags, one small and one large
- About 3 cups of crushed ice
- 6 spoons of rock salt or common salt
- A thermometer if available
- A towel or old cloth for holding the bag
Safety: Use only food-grade ingredients, and do not eat if anyone is allergic to milk. Wear a cloth around the bag because it gets very cold, and an adult must crush the ice with a clean cloth and rolling pin.
Take it further: Time how fast the ice cream sets using one, two and three spoons of salt and plot the results.
ChemistryEasy
Baking soda or baking powder: which makes more bubbles?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Baking soda needs an acid to give carbon dioxide, while baking powder already has its own acid and only needs water. Testing both with vinegar, curd water and plain water shows why recipes pick one or the other.
You will need
- 1 spoon of baking soda
- 1 spoon of baking powder
- Small clear glasses, 6
- Plain water, vinegar, and diluted curd water
- A measuring teaspoon and a ruler
- Small balloons, 6, to catch the gas
- A marker pen
Safety: Do not taste the test glasses. An adult must supervise the balloons so no fizz goes near the eyes, and wash hands after the test.
Take it further: Bake two small idlis or cakes, one with each, and measure which one rises more.
ChemistryEasy
Why apple slices turn brown and what stops it
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A cut apple turns brown when enzymes in it react with oxygen in the air. Lemon juice, salt water, sugar water and cold slow or stop the change, which shows how cooks keep fruit looking fresh.
You will need
- 1 large apple (or a banana or potato)
- Lemon juice, salt water, sugar water, plain water
- Five small plates or saucers
- A butter knife (adult cuts)
- A marker and sticky labels
- Phone camera or a notebook for timed notes
Safety: An adult must cut the fruit. Do not eat slices that have been left out for the experiment, and wash hands after handling the lemon juice.
Take it further: Test other liquids such as vinegar, orange juice and honey water and rank all of them.
ChemistryEasy
Which kitchen ingredient keeps oil and water mixed?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Oil and water do not mix, but some kitchen ingredients called emulsifiers surround the tiny oil drops and keep them spread in the water. You shake the oil and water with different ingredients and time how long they take to separate.
You will need
- 6 small identical clear jars with lids
- Cooking oil
- Water
- Mustard, honey, a drop of dish soap, milk and plain curd
- A teaspoon and a stopwatch
- A marker
- A ruler
Safety: Do not taste the jars, especially the one with dish soap. Wash the jars well afterwards, and keep them away from small children.
Take it further: Make a salad dressing with the best emulsifier and test how long it stays mixed in the fridge.
ChemistryEasy
Hot water against cold water: how fast tea colour spreads
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Particles move faster in hot water, so colour from a tea bag spreads, or diffuses, much faster there than in cold water. Measuring the time to colour a glass shows how temperature affects diffusion and dissolving.
You will need
- 3 identical tea bags
- 3 clear glasses
- Cold water, tap water and warm water, around 60 C (adult mixes)
- A stopwatch
- A white paper to put behind the glasses
- A thermometer
- A notebook
Safety: An adult must heat the water and pour it. Warm water above 50 C can scald, so children should not pour it.
Take it further: Repeat with a drop of ink or food colour and a spoon of sugar, and compare dissolving rates.
ChemistryEasy
Candy colour race: hidden dyes in coated sweets
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Coloured sweets often use a mix of dyes, and water carrying them up paper moves different dyes at different speeds. You split the colours of several sweets and learn how to separate a mixture without any chemicals.
You will need
- Colourful sugar-coated sweets (gems or candy balls), 5 colours
- Coffee filter or blotting paper, 4 strips
- A shallow dish and a plate
- Water and a pinch of salt
- A pencil and a ruler
- A dropper
- Tape to fix the strip
Safety: Do not eat the sweets used in the test and wash your hands. If anyone is allergic to food dyes, an adult handles the sweets.
Take it further: Compare a green sweet to a mix of blue and yellow and see whether they match.
ChemistryMedium
Why fresh pineapple stops jelly from setting
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Jelly sets because gelatin proteins link into a net, but fresh pineapple contains an enzyme, bromelain, that cuts proteins and stops the net forming. Heated or tinned pineapple has lost the enzyme, so the jelly sets normally.
You will need
- 1 packet of gelatin jelly crystals
- Fresh pineapple pieces
- Boiled or tinned pineapple pieces
- Hot water and cold water
- Six small identical cups
- A fridge
- A spoon and sticky labels
Safety: An adult must pour the hot water and cut the pineapple. Fresh pineapple can irritate the mouth, so do not eat the test cups, and check for allergy.
Take it further: Use papaya in a jelly cup and compare its power with pineapple.
ChemistryEasy
Which liquid removes turmeric and tea stains from cotton?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Different stains need different cleaners: tea stains respond to mild acids and detergents, while turmeric responds to sunlight and detergent. You test cleaning liquids on identical stains and score the result.
You will need
- Old white cotton cloth cut into 12 squares
- Turmeric paste and strong tea
- Detergent solution, lemon juice, vinegar, plain water
- Small bowls and a spoon
- Rubber gloves
- A clock and a clothesline
- A marker for labelling squares
Safety: Wear gloves because detergent can irritate skin, and do not mix any two cleaners together. An adult must supervise, and keep the liquids away from the face.
Take it further: Repeat with ink, curry oil and chocolate stains, and make a stain removal guide for your family.
ChemistryEasy
Longer-lasting soap bubbles with glycerine or sugar
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A soap bubble is a thin film of water held between two layers of soap. Adding glycerine or sugar slows the evaporation of the water, so the bubbles live longer. You time bubble lifetimes for different recipes.
You will need
- Dishwashing liquid
- Water
- Glycerine from a chemist, or sugar
- Straw or a wire loop
- Four cups
- A stopwatch
- A tray or plate for catching bubbles
Safety: Do not drink the bubble mixture and keep it away from the eyes. Wipe up spills because soapy floors are slippery.
Take it further: Test bubbles in humid monsoon air and in dry winter air and explain the difference.
ChemistryEasy
Which fabric soaks up the most water: cotton, nylon, wool or polyester?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Cotton and wool fibres absorb a lot of water, while nylon and polyester absorb little. By weighing identical fabric squares before and after soaking, you find which fabric is best for towels and which for raincoats.
You will need
- 10 cm squares of cotton, towel cloth, nylon, polyester and wool from old clothes
- A bowl of water
- A kitchen scale (to 1 g) or letter balance
- A clip or tongs
- A cloth for drying hands
- A notebook
- A pencil
Safety: Use old, clean cloth only. Wipe up spills so no one slips, and wash hands after handling the wet cloth.
Take it further: Measure how long a drop of water takes to soak into each fabric.
ChemistryMedium
Flour paste, rice paste and school glue: which sticks hardest?
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Glues stick by filling the tiny gaps in the surfaces and hardening, and starch paste from the kitchen works for paper. You compare the strength of flour paste, rice paste and school glue by hanging load from glued strips.
You will need
- Flour (maida) and cooked rice
- School glue stick or liquid glue
- Water and a small pan (adult only)
- Strips of card or paper, 2 cm wide
- A small bag or cup to hang weights
- Coins or marbles as weights
- A ruler and notebook
Safety: An adult must cook the paste, because hot starch burns. Keep glue away from mouth and eyes and wash hands afterward.
Take it further: Test how the joint area changes the holding load by changing the overlap from 1 cm to 5 cm.
ChemistryMedium
Hard water scale: which kitchen acid dissolves it best?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Hard water leaves chalky scale of calcium carbonate that dissolves in acids and gives off carbon dioxide. You compare vinegar, lemon juice and citric acid solution on chalk as a model of scale and measure the mass lost.
You will need
- Pieces of blackboard chalk of equal weight
- Vinegar, lemon juice and citric acid solution
- Plain water
- Four small glasses
- A kitchen scale (to 0.1 g if possible)
- A stopwatch
- A spoon and tissue
Safety: Use only mild kitchen acids. An adult must supervise, and the used liquids should be washed away with plenty of water. Keep the liquids away from the eyes, and wear gloves if the skin is sensitive.
Take it further: Test the effect of warming the acid to 50 C (adult only) on the rate.
ChemistryEasy
Are all steel utensils magnetic? Testing a kitchen full of metals
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Plain iron and some kinds of steel are attracted by a magnet, but many stainless steels with nickel are not, or only slightly. By testing kitchen items you learn why steel types differ and how to sort the metals around you.
You will need
- A small strong magnet
- Steel and aluminium utensils: spoons, plates, tumblers and pressure cooker lid
- Iron tawa or knife, copper and brass items, coins
- A kitchen scale
- A notebook
- A table with columns
Safety: Never test with items from a pressure cooker that is hot, and an adult must handle sharp knives. Keep the magnet away from phones and cards.
Take it further: Find out why only magnetic pans work on an induction cooker, and test your pans with the magnet.
ChemistryEasy
pH of garden, farm and roadside soil using red cabbage indicator
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Soils can be acidic, neutral or alkaline, and crops grow best in a suitable range. A homemade indicator sorts soils from different places by colour.
You will need
- Red cabbage leaves and warm water
- Five clear cups or jars
- Soil samples from a garden, a farm, a roadside, a pot and a lawn
- Distilled or boiled and cooled water
- Coffee filters or cotton cloth
- Lemon juice and baking soda for colour reference
Safety: Wash hands after handling soil. An adult must chop the cabbage and heat water. Taste nothing used in the experiment.
Take it further: Grow the same seed in the most acidic and the most alkaline soil to see which grows better.
ChemistryMedium
Alum against moringa seed powder: which clears muddy water faster?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Coagulants make tiny suspended particles clump together and sink. Comparing alum (phitkari) with crushed moringa seed shows two ways to clear turbid water before filtering.
You will need
- Four clear jars or bottles
- Muddy water (clay soil stirred in water)
- Alum (phitkari) and moringa seeds
- A mortar or a clean stone to crush seeds
- A spoon and a timer
- A laser pointer or a torch for a clarity check
- A white card with a black cross
Safety: An adult must supervise crushing seeds. Do not drink any of the treated water, because it is not tested. Alum can irritate eyes, so wash hands after use.
Take it further: Vary the dose of alum from 0.1 g to 1 g and find the best amount.
ChemistryChallenging
Vitamin C in raw and boiled vegetables with iodine and starch
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Vitamin C is destroyed by heat and dissolves in cooking water. A starch and iodine indicator that loses its blue colour when vitamin C is present lets you compare how much each sample contains.
You will need
- Chopped vegetables such as cabbage, tomato or capsicum
- A diluted iodine solution (tincture diluted with water)
- A teaspoon of starch cooked in a cup of water
- Droppers or a clean straw
- Test tubes or small glasses
- A pan and a small stove
- A pestle and a mortar or a grater
Safety: An adult must handle the stove and the iodine tincture, which is harmful if swallowed and stains skin. Wear gloves and eye protection and never taste anything used in a test. This is a classroom comparison, not a nutritional measurement.
Take it further: Compare steaming, pressure cooking and microwaving using the same vegetable.
ChemistryEasy
Walking rainbow: colours that climb a paper towel
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water climbs up paper and carries colours with it. When red and yellow meet in the middle they make orange, and blue and yellow make green.
You will need
- Six small glasses or cups (free)
- Water
- Food colours in red, yellow and blue, or washable markers dipped in water
- Six strips of kitchen paper towel, folded
- A tray
- A spoon
Safety: Food colour stains clothes and fingers. An adult must help, and the glasses should not be drunk from afterwards.
Take it further: Try a coffee filter paper or newspaper instead of kitchen paper and see which carries the water fastest.
ChemistryEasy
Water drops on a coin: how many drops fit?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water drops hold together like a skin and make a dome. A coin can hold many drops before the water spills over.
You will need
- Two coins of the same size (free)
- A dropper or a straw
- A cup of water
- A sheet of wax paper or a plastic sheet
- A drop of dish soap
- Paper and pencil
Safety: Wipe spills. Do not drink the soapy water.
Take it further: Try cooking oil and juice on the coin and compare the drop counts.
ChemistryEasy
What dissolves in water? A kitchen tray test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Some things disappear in water, such as salt and sugar, and some do not, such as sand and flour. We call the first group soluble.
You will need
- Six clear glasses (free)
- Water
- A spoon
- Salt, sugar, sand, rice, flour and turmeric, one spoon each
- Paper and pencil
- Labels
Safety: Do not drink the mixtures. An adult must supervise and keep turmeric from staining clothes.
Take it further: Leave the salt water in a plate in the Sun and see what is left.
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.