Artwork by Jessica Zhang
Age Recommendation: Any!
Length of Activity: 5-10min
A really project to do for children of any age is making a lava lamp. Lava lamps are really cool and exciting but making one is relatively easy. We found this activity on homesciencetools.com
Materials Needed
- Clear bottle or clear cup
- Vegetable oil
- Food coloring
- Water
- Alka-seltzer
Let’s Go!
1. Fill the bottle mostly with oil
2. Add some water into the bottle filled with oil (the water will sink to the bottom of the bottle)
3. Add food coloring to the bottle (food coloring will also sink to the bottom)
4. Add the alka-seltzer tablets and congratulations for making a lava lamp
How does it Work?
Water and oil have different densities (water being less dense) so the water will sink to the bottom while the oil will float on top. Food coloring also is less dense than oil so it will sink to the bottom too. When the alka-seltzer tablet sinks to the bottom, it will react with the water, creating gas that lifts the food coloring and water to the top of the mixture (the water, food coloring, and gas combo is less dense than the oil).
