Biology · Microbiology
Grow bacteria from everyday surfaces
Swab phones, door handles and washed hands onto agar and compare the colonies that grow.
- Intermediate
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
606 projects · 13 streams · every class
Science projects 26
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.
26 Science projects
Physics · Optics
Measure the speed of light with a chocolate bar
Find the wavelength of microwaves from melt spots on chocolate, then calculate the speed of light.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Modern Physics
Measure Planck's constant with LEDs
Find the turn-on voltage of LEDs of different colours and get Planck's constant from the slope.
- Advanced
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Chemistry + Nutrition and Food
Measure the vitamin C in fruit juices
Titrate juices with iodine and starch to compare how much vitamin C each contains.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Measure the refractive index of water with a laser pointer
Trace a laser beam entering water at several angles and get the refractive index from Snell's law.
- Intermediate
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Biology · Cell Biology
Observe osmosis in potato strips
Soak potato strips in salt solutions and find the concentration at which they neither gain nor lose mass.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Waves
Measure the speed of sound with two phones
Use two phones with an acoustic stopwatch app to time a clap over a known distance.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Free
Physics · Current Electricity
Verify Ohm's law and find where it fails
Plot current against voltage for a resistor and a bulb and explain the difference.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Oscillations
Find g with a simple pendulum and a phone
Time pendulums of different lengths and get the acceleration due to gravity from a straight-line graph.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Astronomy and Space + Pure Mathematics
Measure the Earth's circumference like Eratosthenes
Measure a stick's shadow at local noon in two cities and calculate the size of the Earth.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Free
Chemistry · Thermochemistry
Measure the heat released when salts dissolve
Dissolve different salts in water and classify each as heating or cooling the water.
- Intermediate
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Chemistry · Analytical Chemistry
Estimate the calcium carbonate in eggshells
React eggshell with vinegar, measure the mass of carbon dioxide lost and calculate its purity.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Biology · Microbiology
Investigate which mouthwash or toothpaste limits plaque bacteria
Compare how well mouthwashes inhibit bacterial growth on agar using the disc method.
- Advanced
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
Biology · Botany
Investigate transpiration with a simple potometer
Build a potometer from tubing and measure how wind, light and humidity change water uptake.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Chemistry · Medicinal Chemistry
Compare how well antacids neutralise acid
Find which antacid tablet neutralises the most acid per tablet and per rupee.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Biology · Microbiology
Compare antibacterial effects of natural substances
Test garlic, neem, turmeric and honey against harmless bacteria using paper discs on agar.
- Advanced
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
Biology + Psychology
Test whether music or silence helps short-term memory
Give volunteers word lists to memorise in silence, with instrumental music and with songs, and compare recall.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- Free
Physics + Astronomy and Space
Estimate the Sun's power with a can of water
Measure how fast sunlight heats blackened water and estimate the solar constant.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Biology · Molecular Biology
Investigate the effect of temperature on enzyme activity
Measure how fast potato catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide at different temperatures.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Biology + Environmental Science
Test how fertiliser runoff affects algae growth
Add different amounts of fertiliser to jars of pond water and track how green they turn.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- Under 250
Chemistry · Organic Chemistry
Synthesise and test soap from cooking oil
Make soap by cold-process saponification under supervision and test its pH and lather.
- Advanced
- 2–4 weeks
- 250–500
Chemistry · Food Chemistry
Compare the energy in different foods by burning them
Burn nuts and snacks under a can of water and estimate the energy per gram of each.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- Under 250
Physics · Optics
Measure the wavelength of a laser with a ruler
Reflect a laser at grazing angle off a steel ruler and get its wavelength from the diffraction spots.
- Intermediate
- 1–3 hours
- Under 250
Physics · Waves
Investigate standing waves on a string
Drive a stretched string with a small speaker and find how frequency depends on tension.
- Intermediate
- 1 day
- 250–500
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