What it shows
Plastic caps can be reused to make art. We sort by colour and see how many small parts make a large picture.
The science
A mosaic is a picture made of many small pieces. Sorting caps by colour lets us plan the picture. Reusing caps stops them from becoming waste that does not rot. Plastic stays in the environment for hundreds of years if thrown away.
Materials
Cost: free. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- Forty to sixty plastic bottle caps of different colours (free)
- A stiff cardboard sheet or an old board
- Fevicol or strong glue
- A pencil
- A wet cloth
- A drawing of a fish or flower
Safety
For this project: An adult must use any strong glue. Caps are small, so keep them from young children.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
Step by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
Collect clean caps and sort them by colour into bowls.
Draw a simple outline of a fish or flower on the cardboard.
Lay the caps on the outline without glue and plan the colours.
Count how many of each colour you need and write it down.
Ask an adult to help glue the caps one by one.
Fill the outline from the edges to the middle.
Let the glue dry fully for a day.
Hang the picture on a wall in your room.
What you should see
A colourful mosaic picture made from caps that would otherwise be thrown away.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
01What is a mosaic?
A picture made from many small pieces.
02Why should we reuse caps?
Plastic does not rot, so reuse stops waste.
03How did you plan the colours?
By sorting and laying them out first.
04How many caps did you use?
Count them from your picture.
Take it further
Make a larger mosaic as a group with classmates and display it at school.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
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Find out more about environment
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