Lava Lamp

A fun activity that explores the density of liquids.

Fun Facts:

• Most substances dissolve or breakdown in water but the presence of that particular substance still exists and it can be removed.
• Water molecules are cohesive therefore they are highly attracted to each other and will repel or push past substance to attach to other water molecules.
• Water and oil do not mix but we can make them come together by creating a chemical reaction.

Materials:

1. A 16 – 20 oz. bottle
2. Food coloring
3. ½ cup or 4ozs. of water
4. 2 cups or 16ozs. of vegetable oil
5. 1 antacid tablet

Directions:

• Pour approximately 2 cups of vegetable oil into your 16-20oz. bottle. If you are using a 16oz. bottle consider using 1 ½ cups of vegetable.
• Pour a ½ cup of water into the same bottle so that it now contains both liquids.
• Add a few generous drops of food coloring to your liquids and observe what happens. (The food coloring is mostly water and water molecules are cohesive.) The food coloring passes through the oil to get to the other water molecules.
• Create your chemical reaction by adding an antacid tablet to the bottle of liquids. If the opening of the bottle is too narrow break the tablet in half.

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