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Watch out dinosaurs the volcano is erupting! What is foamy and bubbly, but not hot? It’s kid lava — baking soda and vinegar style. The chemical reaction between the to ingredients causes a frothy reaction — super science fun! Let’s get started on our erupting miniature volcano experiment!
Materials: (most things you’ll already have!)
- Paper cup {Dollar Store—green}
- Small plastic spray bottle, top removed {Dollar Store multi-pack}
- Moss {Dollar Store}
- Paper bowl
- Funnel
- Measuring cup
- Masking tape
- Scissors or knife {parent}
- Markers or Paint
- Safari LTD Dinosaurs
Volcano Eruption Recipe:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- Dish soap, few drops
- Red Food coloring
What’s Next:
1. Let’s start with the paper cup. We used green cups, so no need to color. But if you use white paper cups, paint or color green with markers. Next, flip the cup upside-down — color or paint the bottom rim red for the super hot lava! Using the cap of the plastic bottle as a guide, trace a circle in the center. This is where the bottle will pop through. Using a knife or scissors {parent} cut two small slits.
2. Now let’s construct the volcano. Place the small plastic bottle in the center of a bowl, spray cap removed. Next, push the paper cup volcano base over the bottle allowing the mouth of the bottle to pop through.
3. Tape the volcano cup base down to the bowl to prevent shifting. Then add moss, small dinosaurs, and we’re ready to experiment!
4. The formula: 1 teaspoon baking soda {more if desired} + 1/2 cup vinegar + few drops of red food coloring {pre-mix the food coloring and vinegar} + a few drops dish soap = foamy science fun! Watch the chemical reaction as the components mix and the volcano erupts with foamy red lava!
{note} We did it a few times with the 1/2 cup vinegar — if you’re only doing it once, you can use less.
{Science Fact Alert!}
Why does baking soda and vinegar bubble, fizz, and froth? It’s a chemical reaction between the two that causes the bubbling. Baking soda is actually sodium bicarbonate, which has the chemical formula NaDCO3. Vinegar is acetic acid mixed with water and has the chemical formula CH3COOH. When the two chemicals are mixed together they produce the formula:
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH –> CH3COONa + H2CO3
To see why the bubbling happens, we need to look at the last part of that equation. The H2CO3 is carbonic acid which very quickly breaks down into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The carbon dioxide is what causes the bubbling and foaming when baking soda and vinegar are mixed. Fact Source
The kids had a blast today at play group! We did it again at home and C loved it — so focused! Don’t try to eat it! He learned the hard way! *To my dear friend Dara — thank you for your hard work today supplying the craft — ♥ all your wonderful ideas!
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