Learn how to make an easy lava lamp with this fun science experiment for kids. To change your lava lamps from a demonstration to an experiment, hypothesize and answer some critical questions. Make your own lava lamp using simple materials found in your home. And then the fun begins, and this is the secret ingredient to make a lava lamp without alka selzer. Homemade lava lamp by sunflower osu kidspirit oregon. Sep 08, 2012 a fun and easy science experiment for kids of all ages. The hot water made the alka seltzer dissolve faster and caused the experiment to produce more bubbles blobs. Try kitchen science with a homemade lava lamp that explores liquid density and a cool chemical reaction.
How to make a lava lamp with household ingredients. Making lava lamps with your kids is a simple and fascinating science experiment. This simple lava lamp experiment is easy to set up and an amazingly fun earth day activity perfect for kids of all ages to explore. The way we introduce this activity is to ask the kids if they know what a lava lamp is, and if they do, how. Experiment with objects of different shapes and sizes.
Use a measuring cup or funnel to slowly pour the vegetable oil into the bottle until its almost full. Science in a jar is quite fun, so we picked up six of them the last time we were there. See what makes a difference to whether something sinks or floats in water. We experimented with a few different ways and will show you what we found out. Walk into the kitchen, open your pantry and find everything you need to create a homemade lava lamp and check out liquid density. Use simple household items such as vegetable oil, food coloring, alkaseltzer and a bottle to create chemical reactions and funky balls of color that move around like a real lava lamp. This science experiment is suitable for kids over 4 years of age. How to make a lava lamp without alka seltzer hands on as. Home purpose hypothesis variables materials list procedure data table graph results conclusion the hypothesis was proven wrong because when i put. As the reaction slows down, simply add more alkaseltzer. Though a store bought lava lamp works by heating up wax in and oil solution, this homemade lave lamp makes a great science project or a even just a fun experiment to do with friends. Oil and water are insoluble in one another thats where the expression oil and water dont mix comes from, but oil and water have very.
Home the best homemade lava lamp density experiment. The lamp consists of a bolus of a special coloured wax mixture inside a glass vessel, the remainder of which contains clear or translucent liquid. It was a really fun science experiment, project, and summer activity for kids all rolled into one. This has an importance to me because i used to have a lava lamp when i was younger but we could never afford. Lava lamp contributed by the chi epsilon mu xem chemistry club at austin peay state university main science idea for kids the main idea for kids is the concept of density, in particular, the idea that things that are more dense than a liquid sink and things that are less dense than a liquid float. Discover density and polarity as you make a groovy homemade lava lamp with this science project. You may have to wait a few minutes for the oil and water separate. Lava lamp science experiment kids science experiments. Jul 18, 2017 this simple chemistry experiment uses the density differences of water and oil to make what looks like a lava lamp. Blobs in a bottle make a lava lamp at home science bob. How to make an easy lava lamp youll find making a lava lamp in our free ebook of the top ten easy kids science experiments that wont let you down. How to make a lava lamp without alka seltzer hands on as we.
Dollar stores also have nice little mason jarlike jars you can use too. Learn how to make a wave bottle using oil, water, and a secret ingredient that makes the whole. The theory behind a liquid motion lamp goes something like this. Then, when we put the food coloring in, we saw it break through the oil. It is a little pricey to do in a larger classroom setting so if you need a cost effective experiment with similar results check out our lava science experiment in a bowl or use the tiny sized water bottles. A lava lamp works because of two different scientific principles, density and polarity. Home purpose hypothesis variables materials list procedure data table graph results conclusion the hypothesis was proven wrong because when i put the alka seltzer in the bottle with the cold water it started to move the food coloring when i first put it in. They might look complicated, but you can make your own using common kitchen supplies. Which household products makes the best lava lamps. A real lava lamp that you buy from the store is composed of different elements than one you can make at home. Then, add some salt to the bottle or an effervescent tablet so the mixture starts fizzing. Experimenting with oil,water and dishwashing detergent is a fun way to explore basic chemistry with kids. A fun and easy science experiment for kids of all ages. Asked in volcanoes, science experiments, lava lamps how is a lava lamp similar to a volcano.
Get ready to add this simple homemade lava lamp experiment to your science lesson plans this season. Control hypothesis the control of this experiment is the food coloring because it stays the same through out the whole experiment. Bubbling blob lava lamp experiments steve spangler. Click here if you wish to become a patron of whizkidscience. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the conversation right now. Its a lot of fun if you have a group of children and each child can have their own supplies. Your kids will love exploring colored water and oil, but a surprise ingredient will make this science activity even more. These lava lamps can easily fit into arts integration or steam by including a discussion of color theory, performance art, or when trying to incorporate technology or musical composition into a lesson.
This simple chemistry experiment uses the density differences of water and oil to make what looks like a lava lamp. Drop one of the pieces of alkaseltzer into the oil and water mixture. I have done this experiment both at home with my children and in a 2nd grade classroom. Easy diy lava lamp science experiment for kids hands on. A lava lamp has to melt so the lava can, flo up and down in the jar. After allowing the food coloring to break through to the water, we put the alkaseltzer in. Pour the vegetable oil in the bottle until is almost full. Super cool lava lamp experiment for kids fun learning for kids. You can see the same effect if you try making a volcano another of our favorite easy childrens homeschool experiments. Individual write a diy lava lamp instruction manual 15 20 min students write and illustrate an instruction manual providing a scientific explanation of the theory of operation.
Does the temperature of the water affect the reaction. And i love watching them discover the world through science and creativity. Key concepts chemistry molecules buoyancy density polarity. The more alka seltzer that is put in the bottle, the longer it will act on the vegetable oil, causing it to move. We filled ours too full the first time we tried it. After i put the alka seltzer in the water bottle with the warm water. Fill the bottle up about 14th 1 quarter with water. Homemade lava lamp experiment little bins for little hands. Add 10 drops of food coloring to the bottle we like red, but any color will look great. To make a lava lamp with household ingredients, start by pouring vegetable oil, water, and food coloring into a plastic bottle. Lava lamp science project how to make a lava lamp natural. Youll actually be proving that science experiments for kids are a great way of showing that the alkaseltzer tablet reacts with water to make tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.
Even i was shocked at what a big hit this easy diy lava lamp science experiment was with the boys. Lava lamps powered by heat are trickier to make and can use more hazardous materials. Make your own lava lamp at home or school using materials you probably already have. The purpose of my science fair project is to see if food coloring in a homemade lava lamp will move faster in cold or hot water. Theres plenty of opportunities to enjoy earth day science indoors or outdoors this season. We had so much fun with this kids activity i wanted to share the simple process to make your own lava lamp. How to make a lava lamp easy kids science experiments youtube. Bubbling blob lava lamp experiments steve spangler science. The original lava lamp company fun decorative lighting. Homemade lava lamp by sunflower osu kidspirit oregon state. Diy lava lamps are a classic, science activity perfect for all aged kids. When the bubbling stops, add another quarter of alkaseltzer.
A lava lamp is a decorative lamp, invented in 1963 by british entrepreneur edward craven walker, the founder of the lighting company mathmos. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions. You are able to do these experiments at home by looking around in the cupboard and finding materials that you can use to create a science experiment out of. Lava lamp works based on two important scientific principles density and polarity. How to make an easy lava lamp fun science experiments. You may want to use a measuring cup with a spout or a funnel. Science made fun kids what is science, science projects. The history of the lava lamp at 50, the legendary relic of the college dorm room is still groovy after all these years the lava lamp was invented by edward craven walker whose other claim to fame. My home made lava lamp problem can you make a home made lava lamp with food coloring and alkaseltzer. To make a cool looking lava lamp, youll need a large flashlight like the one in the photograph. We conclude that the more alka seltzer you put into the bottle of lava, the more it will be active. Carefully rest the bottle of oil and water directly on the lens of the flashlight and repeat the experiment above with the bright light shining up and through the liquid. This is a safe and fun science experiment you can do at home or in a classroom. During this experiment, we first saw the oil and the water seperate.
Break the alkaseltzer tablet into smaller pieces 6 to 8. Mar 10, 2010 decide on a color for your lava lamp bottle. If different household products are tested, then the alka seltzer, oil and water mixture will make the best lava lamp, because it creates active bubbles that rise to the surface. This is also a simple science activity to bring into the classroom because its so cost effective. Read about liquid density, and make a rainbow column. This is a safe and fun science experiment you can do at home. Fill the rest of the bottle with water almost to the top but not overflowing. The alka seltzer caused the colored water to float up through the oil. You could pour it in, or spoon it in like the boys did.
Conclusion and results harley and nicoles lava lamp. Learn how an objects density affects if something is likely to sink or float. I am always eager to find creative, new, and fun things for kids as part of our summer bucket list we decided to make a lava lamp. Making your own homemade lava lamp has everything you would hope for in a kids science experiment.
Density is the measurement of how compact a substance is how much of it fits in a certain amount of space. Next, seal the bottle, shake it up, and place it on top of a strong flashlight, like the flashlight on your phone. Whats great about these science experiments is that you can enjoy them in the classroom as well as at home with friends and family. Set up this experiment on a plastic tray or dollar store cookie sheet to minimize the mess. Asked in science, lava lamps is a lava lamp a chemical or physical change. This is good for society because you dont have to waste money on a lava lamp when you can make your own. Show density and polarity using simple household ingredients. You can experiment fairly safely with things like rubbing alcohol and mineral oil or lamp oil. This experiment models whats happening inside an active volcano. Diy lava lamp for kids simple science experiment for kids.
While youre at it, make sure to check out these other fun science experiments and activities our science activities are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind. Lava lamp science project what you will need to make your lava lamp science experiment is in this picture. Homemade lava lamp experiment science is so much fun. A fun and simple science experiment for kids using just 3 common household items. Feb 15, 2020 to make a lava lamp with household ingredients, start by pouring vegetable oil, water, and food coloring into a plastic bottle. To change your lava lamps from a demonstration to an experiment, hypothesize and. Watch scientist joe as he makes the lava lamp experiment here. Homemade lava lamp the activity make a homemade lava lamp. This is a science experiment for class 5 which explains the concepts of liquid density and chemical reactions. You may have to wait a couple of minutes for the oil and water to separate. The best part of this lava lamp activity is just how easy it is to set up. You can make your own lava lamp by using materials that are present at home.