This is a fun, beautiful, and entertaining chemistry experiment that can easily be repeated at home. All the reagents are available in almost every kitchen, and if not, you can buy them in any grocery store.
I will show you how to make some semblance of a lava lamp, but unlike the real one, it will work immediately and will not require heat to continue the reaction.
You Will Need
- Cooking soda.
- Vinegar.
- Sunflower oil.
- Coloring agent of your choice.
- Any glass jar you want.
- For lighting we will use a LED flashlight.
Read also: How Do Lava Lamps Work
Making a Chemical Lava Lamp
Step 1. Take a tablespoon of soda and pour it on the bottom of the jar. The whole bottom should be covered with baking soda.
Step 2. Then pour the sunflower oil. This is the main component, so fill the whole jar with it.
Step 3. In a small container pour the vinegar.
Step 4. In this amount of vinegar we add food coloring.
Step 5. Turn on the light.
Step 6. And we put the jar with the oil and soda on this light. The lava lamp should be illuminated.
Step 7. On top we pour the mixed vinegar and dye.
And our lava lamp starts working at once. Bubbles alternately sink to the bottom, then rise up to the neck of the jar.
This spectacular experience can be repeated with children, I am sure that they will be absolutely delighted.
The Principle of Action
The principle is simple: vinegar is heavier than oil, so the bubbles sink to the bottom first. Touching the bottom causes the acetic acid to react with the baking soda, resulting in carbon dioxide bubbles that pull the bubble to the top. When it reaches the top, the carbon dioxide escapes and the bubble falls back to the bottom. This cycle is repeated for a certain amount of time, until the reaction of vinegar and baking soda is complete.
P.S.: You can use several dyes at once, mixed in different containers with vinegar. And pour them at the same time. It will look very cool.
Read also: How Long Do Lava Lamps Take to Heat Up