In search of an interesting and academic science exercise to do along with your college students? This DIY Lava Lamp Experiment is ideal for the classroom. It’s a hands-on solution to discover the rules of density, chemical reactions, and the way liquids and gases work together. Plus, your college students will love watching their colourful creations come to life. Right here’s how one can information them by way of this enjoyable experiment.
Plus, click on the button under to seize your free lava lamp experiment worksheet on your college students.
What does conducting a Lava Lamp Experiment educate?
This experiment is a good way to introduce or reinforce key scientific ideas. Focus on along with your college students how the totally different densities of the liquids trigger the layering impact. Clarify the chemical response that happens when the Alka-Seltzer pill meets the water, producing carbon dioxide gasoline that creates the effervescent impact. This can be a fantastic instance of a real-world chemical response that’s straightforward to look at and perceive.
Is there a DIY Lava Lamp video?
Watch this video to get step-by-step directions in a follow-along format.
Supplies wanted:
- Clear jars or bottles (one for every pupil or group)
- Spoon
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Meals coloring (number of colours)
- Glitter (elective, however provides a enjoyable visible aspect)
- Alka-Seltzer tablets
DIY Lava Lamp steps:
1. Establishing the experiment
Begin by distributing the supplies to every pupil or group. Have them fill their jars about midway with water. It will function the bottom for his or her lava lamps.
2. Introducing coloration
Now it’s time so as to add some coloration. Have college students select just a few drops of meals coloring so as to add to their jars. Combine nicely.
3. Including the oil
Subsequent, instruct college students to pour vegetable oil into their jars till they’re nearly full. This can be a nice alternative to debate density along with your class. Ask them to look at how the oil floats on high of the water. Clarify that this happens as a result of oil is much less dense (lighter) than water, so it naturally stays on high.
4. Including some sparkle (elective)
If you wish to add an additional aspect of enjoyable, let your college students sprinkle in some glitter. The glitter will float throughout the oil, including a visible sparkle that enhances the impact of the lava lamp. This will also be an excellent second to speak about how solids will be suspended in liquids.
5. The chemical response
Lastly, give every pupil or group an Alka-Seltzer pill and have them break it in half. After they drop the pill items into their jars, they’ll see the magic occur! The Alka-Seltzer reacts with the water to create carbon dioxide gasoline. These gasoline bubbles carry the coloured water and glitter upward by way of the oil, creating the basic lava lamp impact. Because the bubbles attain the highest and pop, the water sinks again down, beginning the method over once more.
Conclusion
This DIY Lava Lamp Experiment just isn’t solely a enjoyable and visually partaking exercise, it’s additionally a fantastic lesson on states of matter. Your college students will see how density and chemical reactions occur in actual time.
Whether or not you’re instructing youthful college students about fundamental science ideas or older college students about extra advanced rules, this experiment is a flexible instrument that may be tailored to numerous studying ranges.
Get your free printable lava lamp experiment worksheet!
If you wish to recreate our lava lamp experiment in your classroom, click on the button under for a worksheet that walks college students by way of each step and offers experiment inquiries to get them pondering.
