Have you ever made a DIY lava lamp? We love to explore science with common household items. A homemade lava lamp (or density experiment) is one of our favorite science experiments for kids.
PinLava Lamp Experiment
You can also experiment with salt with this lava lamp instead of using Alka Seltzer tablets!
- Valentine’s Day Lava Lamp
- Earth Day Lava Lamp
- Halloween Lava Lamp
SUPPLIES:
- Water Bottles, Mason Jars, or Plastic Cups
- Food Coloring
- Baby Oil or Cooking Oil
- Water
- Alka Seltzer Tablets (generic is fine)
💡 Lava Lamp Tip: Set up this experiment on a plastic tray or dollar store cookie sheet to minimize the mess. Dollar stores also have nice little mason jar-like jars you can use too. Science in a jar is quite fun, so we picked up six of them the last time we were there!
LAVA LAMP INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Gather your ingredients! We started with one cup and then made a rainbow of lava lamps.
STEP 2: Fill your cup or jar(s) about 2/3 of the way with oil. You can experiment with more and less and see which one gives the best results. Make sure to keep track of your results. See below for more tips on experimentation and using the scientific method.
PinSTEP 3: Next, you want to fill your jar(s) the rest of the way with water. These steps are great for helping your kids practice fine motor skills and learn about approximate measurements.
💡 Make sure to observe what happens to the oil and water in your jars as you add each ingredient.
STEP 4: Add drops of food coloring to your oil and water and watch what happens. However, you don’t want to mix the colors into the liquids. It’s ok if you do, but I love how the coming chemical reaction looks if you don’t mix them!
PinSTEP 5: Now it’s time for the grand finale of this lava lamp experiment! Drop an Alka Seltzer tablet or its generic equivalent into each cup or jar. Make sure to watch closely as the magic happens!
When the lava lamp chemical reaction slows down, add another tablet. What do you think will happen? How is the colored water moving up through the oil? Ask plenty of questions to get your kids thinking!
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Lava Lamp Science Information
Quite a few things are going on here with both physics and chemistry! First, remember liquid is one of three states of matter. It flows, pours, and takes the shape of the container you put it in.
However, liquids have different viscosity or thicknesses. Does the oil pour differently than the water? What do you notice about the food coloring drops you added to the oil/water? Think about the viscosity of other liquids you use.
Why don’t all liquids mix? Did you notice the oil and water separated? That’s because water is heavier than oil.
💡 Making a density tower is another great way to observe how not all liquids share the same density.
Liquids are made up of different numbers of atoms and molecules. In some liquids, these atoms and molecules are packed together more tightly, resulting in a denser liquid. Learn more about density here.
Now for the chemical reaction! When the two substances combine (Alka seltzer tablet and water), they create carbon dioxide, all the bubbling you see. These bubbles carry the colored water to the top of the oil, where they pop, and the water then falls back down.
Lava Lamp Science Fair Experiment
Want to turn this lava lamp into a cool lava lamp science project? Check out these helpful resources below.
Hypothesis: “If the temperature of the water used in a homemade lava lamp is increased, then the movement of the colored blobs will become faster and more vigorous because heat affects the density and buoyancy of the liquids involved.”
Variables:
- Independent Variable: The temperature of the water used in the lava lamp.
- Dependent Variable: The speed and movement pattern of the colored blobs in the lava lamp.
- Controlled Variables:
- The type and amount of oil used.
- The type and amount of water used.
- The type and amount of effervescent tablet used (such as Alka-Seltzer).
- The size and shape of the container.
- The amount of food coloring.
- The ambient room temperature (besides the water temperature).
💡 By manipulating the water’s temperature, you can observe and measure how it affects the behavior of the blobs.
What is a good question to explore for this lava lamp project? What if you didn’t add oil at all? Or what if you change the temperature of the water? What would happen? Learn more about variables in science.
More Fun Science Experiments to Try
- Skittles Experiment
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano
- Growing Borax Crystals
- Elephant Toothpaste
- Magic Milk Experiment
- Egg In Vinegar Experiment
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