Physics · Fluid Mechanics
Build a hydraulic lift with syringes
Connect two syringes of different sizes and show how a small push lifts a large load.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
606 projects · 13 streams · every class
Science projects 28
Experiments, working models and investigations in physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space. Most can be done at home or in a school lab, and each one says what it costs and how long it takes.
28 Science projects
Chemistry · Electrochemistry
Build a lemon battery and compare fruits
Make cells from fruit, zinc and copper, measure their voltage and light an LED with several in series.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Chemistry · Analytical Chemistry
Make a red cabbage pH indicator and test household liquids
Extract a natural indicator from red cabbage and rank household liquids from acid to base.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Mechanics
Calibrate a spring and build a newton meter
Stretch a spring with known weights, plot the graph and turn it into a force meter you can use.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Build a pinhole camera and find its magnification
Make a box camera with no lens and show that image size depends on object and screen distance.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Environmental Science + Physics
Compare the energy use of bulbs
Measure the brightness and heat of LED, CFL and filament bulbs and calculate the yearly cost of each.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- 250–500
Physics + Environmental Science
Build a solar oven and measure its efficiency
Make a box cooker from cardboard and foil and track how hot it gets compared with open air.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Chemistry · Analytical Chemistry
Separate ink colours with paper chromatography
Separate the dyes in marker pens on filter paper and calculate an Rf value for each colour.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Astronomy and Space · Planetary Science
Build a scale model of the solar system on your street
Shrink the solar system so the Sun is a football and place the planets at true scale distances.
- Beginner
- 1 day
- Under 250
Astronomy and Space · Observational Astronomy
Make a model of the solar and lunar eclipses
Use a torch and two balls to show how the Moon's shadow and the Earth's shadow cause eclipses.
- Beginner
- 1 day
- Under 250
Chemistry · Physical Chemistry
Investigate which liquids conduct electricity
Build a simple conductivity tester and sort solutions into electrolytes and non-electrolytes.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Dynamics
Test which shapes fall slowest: a parachute study
Make parachutes of different sizes and shapes and time their fall with the same load.
- Beginner
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Build a periscope and test the law of reflection
Make a periscope from card and two mirrors and show that both must sit at 45 degrees.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Environmental Science · Water
Build a solar still to purify water
Make drinking-quality water from salty water with sunlight and measure how much you get.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Biology · Human Physiology
Build a model of the lungs and measure lung capacity
Make a bell-jar lung model from a bottle and balloons, then measure real lung capacity by displacing water.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Astronomy and Space · Rocketry
Build and launch a paper rocket with a stomp launcher
Launch paper rockets with compressed air and test how fins and nose shape change the distance.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics + Environmental Science
Model the greenhouse effect in two bottles
Compare how fast air and carbon-dioxide-rich air warm under the same lamp.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Environmental Science · Climate
Model the melting of ice caps and sea level
Show that melting land ice raises water level but melting floating ice does not.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Electrostatics
Build an electroscope and test charges
Make a foil-leaf electroscope in a jar and use it to compare charged objects.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Mechanics
Investigate how temperature affects the bounce of a ball
Chill and warm identical balls and measure how bounce height changes with temperature.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Environmental Science · Water
Build a simple water filter and test it
Layer cotton, sand and gravel in a bottle and see how clear muddy water becomes.
- Beginner
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Current Electricity
Build a simple circuit board game
Make a quiz board where a bulb lights when a question is matched to the right answer.
- Beginner
- 1 day
- Under 250
Earth Science · Physical Geography
Model a river and study erosion
Run water down a sand tray and see how slope, flow and plant cover change erosion.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Chemistry + Biology
Extract DNA from fruit in your kitchen
Pull visible strands of DNA out of a banana or strawberry with soap, salt and cold alcohol.
- Beginner
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
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