Here are some of the fun experiments we did yesterday, inspired by a young Mr. Henry who turned 8 years old. Happy Birthday Henry! These are all experiments you can do at home, with materials straight out of your kitchen (or bathroom) cupboard.
The Famous Mentos Geyser Experiment
Materials:
- 2-liter of Diet Coke (and other varieties of soda to test out for fun)
- 1 roll of mint-flavored Mentos (allow approximately 1 roll for each 2-liter bottle)
- 1 piece of scrap paper
Method:
- Do this outside!
- Open the 2-liter bottle and place it somewhere where it won't fall over. Also keep it several feet away from any furniture or other materials that you don't want covered in Diet Coke.
- Roll up the piece of paper into the shape of a funnel that will allow the Mentos to drop through it, into the 2-liter bottle.
- Open the Mentos and drop them, all at once, through the funnel into the bottle.
- Stand back!
Home-made Lava Lamp
Materials:
- One empty 2-liter bottle leftover from the Mentos Experiment
- Approximately 10 oz of tap water per 2-liter bottle (less for a smaller bottle; this does not need to be an exact amount. You simply need a layer of water on the bottom of the bottle)
- Enough vegetable oil to fill the remainder of the volume in the 2-liter bottle (or whatever size bottle you are using), after the water is added.
- Food coloring
- Alka Seltzer tablets (at least 2 per 2-liter bottle)
- Funnel
Methods:
- Pour the tap water into the 2-liter bottle using the funnel.
- Tilt the bottle on its side and use a funnel to pour in the vegetable oil, filling it to the top of the bottle (tilting helps prevent too much mixing of the oil and water).
- Add a few drops of food coloring.
- Observe where the food coloring goes when you add it to the bottle.
- Add 2 tablets of Alka Seltzer to the bottle, and Voila!
- Feel free to add more tablets of Alka Seltzer to keep the action going whenever you want to!
Fabulous Foam
Materials:
- 3/4 cup Hydrogen Peroxide (3% is standard; 6% or greater is available at salon stores and works even better!)
- 2-liter bottle or similar size bottle
- Approximately 1 tbs of yeast
- Approximately 3 tbs of warm water
- Cup for mixing yeast and water
- Squirt of dish soap
- Funnel
Methods:
- It's best to do this in the kitchen sink or outside.
- Use funnel to pour hydrogen peroxide into 2-liter bottle.
- Add a squirt of dish soap to bottle.
- Add a few drops of food coloring.
- In separate cup, mix yeast and warm water until yeast is dissolved or not lumpy.
- Add yeast mixture to 2-liter bottle and watch the reaction!
- Observe the temperature of the bottle as the foam is produced. The yeast is a catalyst and causes the extra oxygen molecule in the hydrogen peroxide to be released as foam (made even more foamy by the dish soap). This is an exothermic reaction (heat is produced); you should feel the heat increase as the reaction occurs!
Frankenstein's Glove
Materials:
- One latex glove
- Approximately 1 cup of vinegar
- A few tablespoons of baking soda (this is an imprecise experiment!)
- One jar or cup wide enough that the glove will fit over the top securely.
Methods:
- Pour the vinegar in the jar or cup.
- Pour the baking soda into the latex glove, filling the fingertips.
- Secure the glove over the top of the cup.
- Lift the fingers of the glove so that the baking soda falls out of the fingers into the jar or cup.
- Watch the glove come alive as carbon dioxide is produced from the reaction between the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and the vinegar (acetic acid).
