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.
MathsEasy
Clothes-hanger balance that solves x + 3 = 7 with marbles
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A hanger with a cup on each side stays level only when both sides weigh the same. A sealed bag of marbles stands for x; with 3 loose marbles beside it balancing 7 on the other side, removing 3 from each side keeps the balance and reveals that the bag holds 4.
You will need
- A plastic clothes hanger
- Two identical paper cups hung on thread from the hanger ends
- About 30 identical marbles or large steel washers
- Three small opaque bags or film canisters as unknowns
- A hook or a string to hang the hanger from
Safety: Keep marbles away from small children and hang the hanger where it cannot swing into anyone.
Take it further: Solve 2x + 1 = x + 6 by placing bags on both sides and removing a bag and a marble from each side.
MathsMedium
Cardboard algebra tiles that factorise x squared plus 5x plus 6
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Square tiles of side x, strips of x by 1 and unit squares are arranged into a rectangle. One x squared tile, five x strips and six unit tiles fit exactly into a rectangle with sides x + 2 and x + 3, so x squared + 5x + 6 = (x + 2)(x + 3).
You will need
- Thick cardboard or foam sheet in three colours
- A ruler and cutter
- A board with a right-angled corner frame
- Labels for x squared, x and 1
- A box to hold the tile set
Safety: An adult must cut the tiles with the cutter.
Take it further: Make red tiles for negative terms and factorise x squared take away x take away 6 as (x take away 3)(x + 2).
MathsMedium
Pinboard coordinate plane with string lines, slopes and intercepts
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Pins at grid points on a four-quadrant board let a string be stretched through any two points to show a straight line. The string through (0, 1) and (2, 5) rises 4 for every 2 across, slope 2, and crosses the y axis at 1, so its equation is y = 2x + 1.
You will need
- A cork sheet or soft board 40 cm square
- Centimetre graph paper with axes from minus 10 to 10
- A box of drawing pins
- Coloured thread or elastic
- Labels and a marker
- A set square for perpendicular lines
Safety: Drawing pins are sharp; store them in a closed tin and keep the board out of reach of small children.
Take it further: Pin the three vertices of a triangle and use the coordinates to find its area with the shoelace formula, then check by counting squares.
MathsEasy
Coordinate battleship game played on all four quadrants
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Players hide paper ships on a grid running from minus 8 to 8 on both axes and call shots as ordered pairs like (minus 3, 5). Reading x before y and keeping the signs straight is the only way to win, so the game drills plotting points in every quadrant.
You will need
- Two shoe-box lids as game boards
- Two sheets of graph paper with axes from minus 8 to 8
- Paper ships of length 2, 3 and 4 squares
- Two colours of small stickers or pins for hits and misses
- A cardboard screen between the boards
Take it further: Allow diagonal ships and ask players to state the slope of each ship, which makes the game a review of gradients too.
MathsEasy
Tower of Hanoi from bottle caps with the 2 to the n minus 1 rule
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Discs of different sizes must be moved from one peg to another, one at a time, never putting a larger disc on a smaller one. The least number of moves is 1, 3, 7, 15, 31 and 63 for 1 to 6 discs, which is 2 to the power n minus 1, so 64 discs would take more than 18 quintillion moves.
You will need
- Six lids or caps of clearly different sizes, from a bottle cap to a jar lid
- Three pegs: pencils stuck upright in a plank or clay base
- A stopwatch
- A record sheet
Safety: An adult must fix the pegs; blunt the pencil tops.
Take it further: Write a short program or a flowchart for the recursive solution and let it print the moves for 4 discs.
MathsMedium
Day-of-the-week wheel that dates any day with the doomsday rule
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
In any year the dates 4/4, 6/6, 8/8, 10/10, 12/12, 9/5, 5/9, 7/11, 11/7 and the last day of February all fall on the same weekday, called the doomsday. A wheel finds the doomsday for the year, and counting from the nearest of these dates gives the weekday of any date, such as 15 August 1947, a Friday.
You will need
- Two card circles, 20 cm and 14 cm, joined at the centre with a split pin
- A marker and ruler
- A list of the doomsday dates printed on the base
- A calculator to check
- An old calendar for testing
Safety: An adult must push the split pin through the card.
Take it further: Work out the weekday of your 50th birthday and of 26 January 1950, and show both with the wheel.
MathsMedium
Geared clock hands model that measures the angle between hands
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The minute hand turns 6 degrees per minute and the hour hand half a degree per minute, so the angle between them at any time is the difference of 30 times the hours and 5.5 times the minutes. At 3:00 the angle is 90 degrees and at 3:30 it is 75 degrees, not 90, because the hour hand has moved on.
You will need
- A card clock face with a degree scale round the edge
- Two card hands on a split pin
- A protractor
- A table of times to test
- Optional: two toothed wheels from a broken toy with a 12 to 1 ratio
Safety: An adult must push the split pin through the card.
Take it further: Add a second hand and work out how often all three hands line up: only at 12:00.
MathsEasy
Vedic maths flip board for squaring numbers ending in 5
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
To square a number ending in 5, multiply the tens digit by the next number up and write 25 after it: 35 squared is 3 times 4 = 12 followed by 25, so 1,225. The flip board shows each step and the algebra behind it: (10a + 5) squared = 100a(a + 1) + 25.
You will need
- A cardboard base 40 cm by 20 cm
- Flip cards on rings or tape hinges for the tens digit and the answer
- A marker
- A calculator for checking
- A small whiteboard sheet for visitors to try
Take it further: Make a board for squaring numbers near 50: 50 + d squared is 2,500 + 100d + d squared, so 53 squared is 2,809.
MathsEasy
Nikhilam slider that multiplies numbers near 100 in one line
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
To multiply 97 by 96, write how far each is below 100 (3 and 4). Subtract crosswise, 97 minus 4 = 93, and multiply the deficits, 3 times 4 = 12, to get 9,312. The slider lines up the two numbers and their deficits so the answer appears in two steps.
You will need
- A card strip 50 cm long with two sliding windows
- A number strip from 90 to 110
- A marker
- A calculator for checking
- Glue and a cutter
Safety: An adult must cut the windows in the card.
Take it further: Make a base-1,000 strip for numbers like 997 times 994, where the deficit product is written with three digits: 991,018.
MathsEasy
Pin and string ellipse drawer with measured focus distances
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A loop of string round two pins and a pencil draws an ellipse, because the pencil keeps the sum of its distances to the two pins constant. With pins 6 cm apart and a loop giving a major axis of 10 cm, the minor axis comes out as 8 cm and the eccentricity as 0.6, exactly as the formulas predict.
You will need
- A soft board or thick cardboard 30 cm square
- Two drawing pins
- A loop of thread tied to a measured length
- A pencil and a ruler
- Graph paper to draw on
Safety: Drawing pins are sharp; keep them in a closed box.
Take it further: Draw a hyperbola with a ruler pivoted at one focus and a string tied at the other, keeping the difference of distances constant.
MathsEasy
Seven bridges of Konigsberg board with removable bridges
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Four land areas joined by seven bridges cannot be walked in one trip crossing every bridge once, because every land area has an odd number of bridges. Lifting any one bridge off the board leaves only two odd areas and the walk becomes possible, starting at one odd area and ending at the other.
You will need
- A board painted as a river with two banks and two islands
- Seven removable card bridges with velcro or pegs
- A toy figure to walk the route
- A dry-erase sheet to draw the graph
- Labels A to D for the land areas
Take it further: Draw the map of your school corridors as a graph and find a route that walks every corridor exactly once, or prove there is none.
Earth and spaceEasy
Balloon-and-bottle barometer with a two-week weather log
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Air pressure changes from day to day. When the outside pressure rises it presses the balloon skin inwards and the straw pointer tips up; when pressure falls before rain, the pointer tips down.
You will need
- A glass jar or wide-mouth bottle
- A balloon with the neck cut off
- A rubber band
- A drinking straw
- A card with a scale drawn on it
- Tape and glue
Safety: An adult should cut the balloon. Keep the jar away from windows and heaters, because warmth also moves the pointer.
Take it further: Compare your readings with the pressure given in a weather app or newspaper for your city.
Earth and spaceMedium
Hair hygrometer that measures humidity with a single strand
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Human hair gets slightly longer when the air is humid and shorter when it is dry. A long hair pulling on a pointer turns this tiny change into a visible movement, which is how real hair hygrometers worked for two centuries.
You will need
- One long human hair, washed with soap to remove oil
- A piece of stiff card or a wooden board
- A light pointer cut from a straw or thin card
- A pin to act as a pivot
- A small weight such as a paper clip
- Tape and a protractor
Safety: The pin point is sharp; press it into the board with an adult watching.
Take it further: Test whether thick hair, thin hair or nylon thread gives the biggest swing.
Earth and spaceEasy
Bottle wind vane on a compass rose that logs wind direction
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A wind vane turns until its large tail is pushed downwind, so the small arrow head points into the wind. Winds are named by the direction they come from, and the direction often changes before the weather does.
You will need
- A plastic bottle with sand in it as the base
- A pencil with an eraser
- A pin
- A straw
- Stiff card for the arrow head and a larger tail
- A card compass rose marked N, E, S, W
- A magnetic compass or a phone compass app to set north
Safety: An adult should push the pin through the straw into the eraser.
Take it further: Add a small anemometer beside it and record wind speed with direction.
Earth and spaceMedium
Hand-driven shake table that tests which tower survives an earthquake
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Earthquake waves shake the ground sideways. A simple shake table shows that wide-based, cross-braced and lighter-topped buildings stay up longer than tall, narrow, top-heavy ones, which is why real buildings in earthquake zones use bracing and a low centre of mass.
You will need
- Two flat boards or thick cardboard sheets
- Four rubber balls or marbles between the boards
- Four rubber bands to hold the top board loosely
- Ice-cream sticks, straws and glue or tape for towers
- Small clay lumps as weights
- A stopwatch
Safety: An adult should help with a glue gun if one is used.
Take it further: Change the rhythm of shaking and find the speed at which each tower swings most; that is its resonant frequency.
Earth and spaceEasy
Spinning globe and torch that shows day, night and sunrise times
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The Earth spins on its axis once a day, so one half faces the Sun and has day while the other half has night. Places further east on the globe turn into the light first, which is why the sun rises earlier in Kolkata than in Mumbai.
You will need
- A ball or an old globe
- A knitting needle or a pencil pushed through as the axis
- A torch
- A small sticker to mark India
- A dark room
- A cardboard stand
Safety: An adult should push the needle through the ball.
Take it further: Keep the axis tilted, walk the globe round the torch and watch which pole stays lit to introduce seasons.
Earth and spaceEasy
Solar eclipse model that shows the umbra and penumbra on a globe
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and its shadow falls on the Earth. The dark inner shadow (umbra) covers only a small patch where the eclipse is total, and the lighter outer shadow (penumbra) covers a wide area that sees a partial eclipse.
You will need
- A large ball or globe for the Earth
- A small ball about a quarter the size for the Moon on a stick
- A bright torch or a lamp with a wide bulb for the Sun
- A dark room
- White paper to catch the shadow
- Labels
Safety: Never look at the real Sun during an eclipse without proper eclipse glasses; the model is safe to look at.
Take it further: Use a smaller Moon ball to show an annular eclipse, where a ring of Sun stays visible.
Earth and spaceMedium
Lunar eclipse model that explains why the Moon turns red
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A lunar eclipse happens at full moon when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon and the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. The Moon does not go fully black because the Earth's atmosphere bends red sunlight into the shadow.
You will need
- A globe or a large ball for the Earth
- A small white ball on a stick for the Moon
- A torch for the Sun
- A clear glass of water with a drop of milk to act as the atmosphere
- A dark room
- A red cellophane sheet
Take it further: Look up the next lunar eclipse visible from India and plan to time the stages.
Earth and spaceMedium
Rotating planisphere star finder for your latitude
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A planisphere is a star map on a dial with a window shaped for one latitude. Turning the dial to the date and time shows exactly which stars are above the horizon, which demonstrates how the sky shifts through the night and through the year.
You will need
- A printed all-sky star chart with dates round the edge
- Stiff card
- A sheet of transparent plastic for the horizon window
- A paper fastener or split pin
- A compass and a protractor
- Glue and scissors
Take it further: Make a second mask for a southern Indian city and compare which stars each can see.
Earth and spaceMedium
Moon and tides model with two bulges and a spinning Earth
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
The Moon's gravity pulls the oceans into a bulge on the side facing it and a second bulge on the opposite side. As the Earth turns under the two bulges, most coasts see two high tides and two low tides a day.
You will need
- A cardboard disc for the Earth, painted with a map
- A larger cardboard oval cut as the water layer
- A small ball for the Moon on a card arm
- A split pin at the Earth's centre
- A base board
- A marker and labels
Take it further: Look up a tide table for Mumbai or Kochi and check that high tides shift by about 50 minutes each day.
Earth and spaceMedium
Stream table in a tray that grows river meanders and sandbars
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A river flowing over loose sediment erodes the outside of each bend, where water moves fastest, and deposits sand on the inside, where it is slow. Over time the bends grow into meanders and may be cut off to leave oxbow lakes, as happens on the Ganga plain.
You will need
- A large plastic tray or a cut-open jerrycan
- Fine sand, about 2 kilograms
- A plastic bottle with a small hole near the base as the water source
- A bucket to catch the outflow
- A few bricks to tilt the tray
- Coloured sprinkles or small confetti to trace the flow
Safety: Work outdoors or in a bathroom; wipe wet floors at once.
Take it further: Plant small sprigs of grass along one bank and show how vegetation slows bank erosion.
Earth and spaceMedium
Aquifer in a jar with a working well and a pollution test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Groundwater is not an underground lake but water filling the spaces between grains of sand and gravel. A straw well draws it out, rain refills it from above, and anything spilled on the surface can reach the well, showing why wells go dry and why they get polluted.
You will need
- A large clear jar or a cut 5 litre bottle
- Gravel, coarse sand and a layer of clay or modelling clay
- A straw or a transparent pipe as the well
- A syringe without a needle to pump
- A jug of water and a watering can for rain
- A drop of food colour as the pollutant
Safety: An adult should cut the bottle.
Take it further: Add a second well on the clay side and show how a shallow and a deep aquifer behave differently.
EnvironmentMedium
Vermicompost tub that turns kitchen peels into worm castings
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Composting worms eat vegetable waste and pass it out as dark, crumbly castings that are a rich plant food. A tub with drainage, bedding and the right moisture turns a family's peels into compost and shows how much kitchen waste never needs to reach a dump.
You will need
- A plastic tub with a lid, about 20 litres, with holes drilled in the sides and base
- Shredded newspaper and dry leaves as bedding
- About 100 composting worms (Eisenia fetida) from a nursery or a farmer
- Kitchen peels without citrus, onion, oil or dairy
- A tray under the tub to catch liquid
- A spray bottle
- A kitchen scale
Safety: An adult should drill the holes. Wash hands after handling the tub, and keep it shaded; worms die above about 35 degrees.
Take it further: Count the worms at the start and after eight weeks to estimate how fast they multiply.
Electronics and roboticsEasy
Foil and foam pressure pad that lights an LED when pressed
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A switch is just a gap in a circuit that can be closed. Two foil sheets held apart by a foam ring touch when pressed, completing the circuit so current flows through the LED.
You will need
- Two pieces of stiff card, about 10 cm square
- Kitchen aluminium foil
- A foam sheet or thick cardboard ring with a hole cut in the middle
- One red LED and a 150 Ω resistor
- A 2 x AA battery holder with two AA cells (3 V)
- Two 30 cm lengths of insulated wire
- Glue, tape and scissors
Safety: Scissors only with an adult nearby. Keep the foil sheets from touching the battery terminals directly, which would warm the cells.
Take it further: Hide the pad under a doormat and swap the LED for a 3 V buzzer to make a visitor alarm.
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.