Article Written by Isabella Granara (Picture above from Flickr.com)
Lab Rat Gifts brings you yet another fun experiment to try with your family and friends! This particular experiment is affordable and simple and makes for an easy clean up. Follow the instructions below to construct your very own lava lamp, perfect for all ages!
For this experiment you’ll need:
- Clean, plastic bottle (preferably with smooth sides)
- Water
- Vegetable oil OR Baby oil
- Fizzling tablets
- Food coloring
Follow these steps:
- Fill the bottle about ¼ of the way with water.
- Pour vegetable oil/baby oil into the bottle until it is almost full. Wait for the oil and water to separate.
- Add a few drops of food coloring in your favorite color.
- Break your fizzling tablet in half and drop one half into the bottle.
- Watch the bubbly blobs! You can get a flashlight, turn off the lights, and drop in another half tablet. When you shine the flashlight on your lava lamp, you can see the blobs bubbling!
Lava Lamp Science
The oil separates from water because it is less dense, whereas food coloring has the same density as water – this is why the food coloring sunk to the bottle of your bottle and mixed with the water. The fizzling tablet falls to the bottom of the bottle and dissolves and creates air that floats to the top of the bottle. These bubbles bring colored water with them! Check out the video here to see how the process should work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGHTZImTvFY
This experiment is credit to Science Fun for Everyone.
