Make an Alka-Seltzer Powered Lava Lamp

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Here's how.

Active Time

10-20 minutes

Total Project Time

30-45 minutes

Key Concepts

lava lamp, chemical reactions, carbonation, temperature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTE2IV8vJ48

Introduction

Have you ever seen a lava lamp? They were the height of 1960's "groovy" room decorations. A few minutes after turning it on, a lava lamp has blobs of colored liquid floating towards the top of the lamp and then drifting back down. Making an actual lava lamp that you plug in would require some effort and unusual supplies, but you can create a non-electric version in just a few minutes with the help of the fizzing power of Alka-Seltzer. In this activity you can find out how to make your own Alka-Seltzer® lava lamp. How will changing the temperature of the ingredients change the behavior of the colorful blobs in your lava lamp?

Credits

Teisha Rowland, PhD, Science Buddies

This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

Next: Materials

Materials

Tall identical jars or bottles, such as empty, clear, plastic 1-liter or 2-liter bottles (2)
Knife
Cutting board
Timer or clock that shows seconds
Water
Food coloring
Vegetable oil (enough to fill the jars nearly full)
An Alka-Seltzer tablet. Only one tablet is needed for the activity, but having additional tablets can be fun if you wanted to repeat lava lamp action.
A way to make one jar hot and one cold, such as by using a large bowl filled with hot water and access to a refrigerator or freezer

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