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
Mass of copper deposited against time: testing Faraday’s law
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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.
ChemistryMedium
Soap against detergent: lather height in hard and soft water
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
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.
BiologyEasy
Bean seed against a glass jar: a root and shoot diary
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A seed pressed between wet paper and the glass wall of a jar lets you watch the root come out first and grow down, then the shoot grow up and open its first leaves. Drawing it every day records how a seedling develops.
You will need
- 3 rajma or chana seeds, soaked overnight
- A clean glass jar or a clear plastic bottle with the top cut off
- Tissue paper or newspaper to line the jar
- A little water
- A notebook, a pencil and a ruler
Safety: An adult must cut the bottle if one is used. Wash hands after handling wet paper and seeds.
Take it further: Grow one jar in the dark and one in light and compare the colour and length of the shoots.
BiologyEasy
Turn a sprouting seed sideways: do roots still grow down?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When a sprouting seed is turned on its side, the root bends to keep growing downwards and the shoot bends upwards. Plants sense gravity, and the response is called gravitropism (or geotropism).
You will need
- 4 sprouted chana or moong seeds with a root about 1 cm long
- A clear plastic box or a transparent food container with a lid
- Cotton wool or folded tissue
- Water
- A marker, tape and a notebook
Safety: Wash hands after handling damp cotton. No tools needed.
Take it further: Try the same test with a seedling whose root tip has dried off naturally, and see whether it can still sense gravity.
BiologyEasy
Shoebox maze: a bean shoot finds its way to the light
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A bean shoot growing inside a dark shoebox with one small hole turns and twists around cardboard walls until it reaches the light. Plants grow towards light, a response called phototropism.
You will need
- A shoebox with a lid
- Spare cardboard and tape for two inner walls
- A small pot or paper cup with soil
- 2 rajma or bean seeds
- Scissors (adult) and water
Safety: An adult must cut the hole and the cardboard walls. Keep the box away from heaters.
Take it further: Add a third shelf and time how much longer the shoot takes, or use a red cellophane window to see if colour matters.
BiologyEasy
Plastic bag over a leafy twig: collect the water leaves give off
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A clear bag tied over a leafy branch fills with droplets within a few hours, while a bag over a bare branch stays dry. Leaves lose water vapour through tiny pores (stomata), a process called transpiration.
You will need
- 2 clear polythene bags
- 2 pieces of string or rubber bands
- A living plant in the sun with leafy and bare branches (or a potted plant)
- A small cup to pour the collected water into
- A spoon or a syringe without a needle to measure it
Safety: Never put a bag over your own or anyone else’s head. Do not pull or damage the branches.
Take it further: Compare a branch of a thick-leaved plant such as aloe with a thin-leaved plant such as hibiscus.
BiologyMedium
Foil on a leaf: where does the plant store starch?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A leaf partly covered with foil for two days and then tested with iodine turns blue-black only where light reached it. Leaves make starch by photosynthesis, and photosynthesis needs light.
You will need
- A potted plant with broad soft leaves (such as money plant or balsam)
- Aluminium foil and paper clips
- Iodine solution (tincture from a chemist, diluted) and a dropper
- A kettle or hot water from an adult, a bowl and a cup
- Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) and a white plate
Safety: An adult must handle the hot water and the alcohol. Alcohol is flammable: warm it only in a cup standing in hot water, never on a flame or stove. Iodine stains skin and cloth; wash splashes with water.
Take it further: Test a leaf from a plant with white patches (variegated) to show that only green parts make starch.
BiologyEasy
Five senses stations: mystery box, smell jars and sound tins
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Five simple stations test touch, smell, hearing, sight and taste one at a time. Each sense organ collects a different kind of information and sends it to the brain, which works out what the object is.
You will need
- A shoebox with a hand-sized hole (mystery box) and 6 safe objects such as a sponge, a spoon, a comb
- 5 small jars with a cloth over the mouth holding things to smell: orange peel, coffee, soap, cardamom, mint
- 4 closed tins with rice, coins, sand and cotton inside
- Cards with pictures of blurred and sharp shapes
- Clean food samples for tasting such as salt, sugar, lemon, bitter gourd, with separate spoons for each person
- A score sheet
Safety: Nothing sharp or very small in the mystery box. Each person uses a fresh spoon for tasting and tastes nothing they are allergic to. Smell jars only hold food and soap, never chemicals. Wash hands before the taste station.
Take it further: Repeat the taste station with the nose pinched shut to show how much taste depends on smell.
BiologyEasy
Bread mould in sealed bags: damp, dry, warm and cold
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Slices of bread sealed in bags under different conditions show that mould grows fastest on damp bread in a warm place and hardly at all on dry bread or in the fridge. Mould is a fungus that grows from spores already present in the air.
You will need
- 4 slices of bread from the same packet
- 4 zip-lock bags
- A spoon of water
- A refrigerator, a warm shelf and a marker
- A hand lens (optional)
Safety: Seal the bags and never open them again; look through the plastic. Throw the sealed bags away at the end of the week. Anyone with asthma or a mould allergy should only watch. Wash hands after handling the bags.
Take it further: Compare bread with a preservative listed on the packet against bakery bread without one.
BiologyEasy
Eggshells in cola, juice, milk and water: a tooth decay model
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Eggshells soaked in cola and fruit juice soften, stain and lose material within days, while shells in milk and water stay hard. Eggshell, like tooth enamel, is a hard mineral that acids slowly dissolve, so sugary and acidic drinks harm teeth.
You will need
- 4 clean, dry halves of eggshell (from eggs used for cooking, washed) or 4 boiled eggs
- 4 cups with cola, packaged fruit juice, milk and water
- A toothbrush and a little toothpaste
- Cling film to cover the cups
- A kitchen scale (optional)
Safety: Wash the shells in hot soapy water with an adult before use. Do not drink from the test cups. Wash hands after handling.
Take it further: Coat one shell with fluoride toothpaste for a day before soaking it in cola and see whether it resists better.
BiologyEasy
Glitter germs: which handwashing method removes the most?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Glitter or turmeric mixed with a little oil stands in for germs on the hands. Rinsing with water alone leaves most of it, while 20 seconds of soap and rubbing removes nearly all, showing why proper handwashing matters.
You will need
- Glitter or turmeric powder
- A teaspoon of cooking oil
- Soap, water, a hand sanitiser and a tap or bucket
- A clock with a seconds hand
- A chart with hand outlines to colour the glitter left behind
Safety: Keep glitter away from eyes and mouth. Wash the sink after the activity. Use plain soap, no harsh cleaners.
Take it further: Use a UV torch and a fluorescent hand cream from a chemist to make the invisible "germs" glow.
BiologyEasy
Balcony bird diary: a 2 week tally of the birds around you
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Watching the same spot for 15 minutes each morning and evening and tallying every bird seen shows which species live nearby, when each is active and what it eats. The diary becomes a small record of local biodiversity.
You will need
- A notebook ruled as a tally chart
- A pencil and colour pencils
- A bowl of water and a few grains on the balcony or sill as a lure
- A bird guide from the library or a free bird-identification app on a parent’s phone
- A watch or clock
Safety: Watch from a safe spot behind a railing. Do not lean out, chase birds or touch nests, eggs or droppings. Wash hands after refilling the water bowl.
Take it further: Repeat the diary in a different season or send your counts to a citizen-science bird count.
BiologyEasy
Ant trails: which foods do ants choose and how do they find them?
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Tiny drops of sugar water, salt water, oil and plain water set out near an ant trail show which foods ants prefer and how a few scouts quickly bring many workers along a chemical trail. Rubbing a finger across the trail breaks it and the ants lose their way for a while.
You will need
- 4 bottle caps or a plastic lid divided with a marker
- Sugar, salt, cooking oil and water
- A dropper or a spoon
- A magnifying glass
- A notebook and a watch
Safety: Watch only; never squash, trap or pour anything on the ants. Keep away from red ants that bite and from nests. Wash hands afterwards.
Take it further: Test whether ants prefer sugar water to honey or jaggery water, or whether they follow a trail drawn in chalk differently.
BiologyEasy
Who lives in a handful of garden soil? A white tray survey
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Spreading soil from a garden bed, a compost heap and bare ground on white trays and counting the earthworms, beetles, millipedes, ants and springtails shows that living soil is full of animals and that richer soil has more of them.
You will need
- 3 white trays or lids (or a white cloth)
- A trowel or an old spoon
- A hand lens
- Gloves
- A notebook, a ruler and a camera or pencil for drawings
Safety: Wear gloves and wash hands afterwards. Do not dig where there may be snakes or scorpions; an adult should check the spot. Watch for centipedes, which bite. Put every animal back where it came from.
Take it further: Repeat after the first monsoon rain and compare the counts with the dry season.
MathsEasy
Measure a tree's height from shadows and similar triangles
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
At the same moment the Sun makes the shadow of a tree and the shadow of a metre stick in the same proportion. If a 1 metre stick casts a 1.5 metre shadow and the tree casts a 9 metre shadow, the tree is 9 divided by 1.5, which is 6 metres tall.
You will need
- A metre stick or a straight pole of known length
- A measuring tape at least 10 metres long
- Chalk or pebbles to mark shadow tips
- A notebook and calculator
- A sunny morning or afternoon when shadows are long
Safety: Never look directly at the Sun. Measure shadows of trees from the ground only; do not climb.
Take it further: Measure the Sun's angle from the stick and shadow using tan, and compare with the angle you get from a clinometer.
MathsEasy
Fair and unfair spinners: predicted versus observed outcomes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A spinner with four equal sectors lands on each colour about a quarter of the time. A spinner with sectors of 180, 90, 45 and 45 degrees lands on the big colour about half the time and on each small colour about one eighth, showing that probability is the share of the circle.
You will need
- Two card circles of radius 8 cm
- A protractor and colours
- Two split pins and two card arrows, or a pencil through the centre
- A tally sheet
- A calculator
Safety: An adult must push the split pins through the card.
Take it further: Spin both spinners together and record pairs to find how often both show red; compare with one quarter times one half.
MathsMedium
Birthday paradox survey across the sections of a school
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
In a group of just 23 people there is a better than even chance (about 50.7 percent) that two share a birthday, and with 30 people the chance is about 70.6 percent. Collecting birthdays from many class sections shows how often a shared birthday actually turns up.
You will need
- Permission from the school to collect day and month of birth only, no year or names
- A survey sheet for each section
- A calculator or a spreadsheet
- Chart paper for the results
Take it further: Work out how many people are needed for a 50 percent chance that someone shares your own birthday: it is 253, far more than 23.
MathsEasy
Measure pi by rolling lids of five different sizes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Rolling a round lid exactly one turn along a ruler marks out its circumference. For every lid, from a bottle cap to a steel plate, dividing the distance rolled by the diameter gives the same number, about 3.14, which is pi.
You will need
- Five round objects: a bottle cap, a tin lid, a bangle, a steel plate and a bucket lid
- A long ruler or measuring tape
- A marker to mark the start point on each rim
- A sheet of paper and a calculator
- A thread for a second check
Take it further: Measure the diameter of a bicycle wheel, count turns over 50 metres and check the distance with the formula.
MathsEasy
Estimate pi by scattering rice over a square and its circle
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Rice grains scattered evenly over a square land inside the circle drawn within it with probability equal to the circle's share of the area, which is pi divided by 4. Counting grains inside and outside and multiplying the inside fraction by 4 estimates pi, a Monte Carlo method used in real computer simulations.
You will need
- A square tray or a 30 cm square drawn on chart paper with a tape border
- A compass to draw the largest circle inside the square
- About 500 grains of rice or mustard seeds
- A tally sheet and a calculator
- A sieve or a sheet to scatter grains from a height
Take it further: Write a ten-line program that drops a million random points and compare its estimate with your rice result.
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.