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Description

Make a volcano out of playdough and then add bicarb and vinegar to make it erupt!

Resources

Playdough - 6 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, 4 tablespoons cooking oil
Small plastic drinks bottle
Bicarb (baking soda)
Vinegar
Food colouring
warm water
Tray to stand their volcanoes in
Cleaning equipment to clear up the mess!

Instructions

PROCESS:
First, make the playdough. Mix 6 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 4 tablespoons cooking oil and 2 cups warm water. The mixture should be smooth and firm. Add more warm water if needed. (this should be done in advance)
Stand the bottle in the tray and mold the dough around it into a volcano shape.
*Don't cover the opening or drop dough in it.
Fill the bottle most of the way full with warm water and a bit of red food color.
Add 6 drops of detergent to the bottle contents.
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the contents.
Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle.
Watch the eruption!
EXPLANATION:
Why does this happen? The red lava is the result of a chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar. In this reaction, the carbon dioxide gas is produced, pressure builds up inside the plastic bottle until the gas bubbles out of the volcano. This is a good representation of what happens in real volcanoes.

Tags

• bicarbonate of soda
• vinegar
• volcanoes

Badge Links

• Experiment - Experiment