DIY VOLCANO

"We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power." -Bertrand Russell

Explore the reaction that occurs during a volcano's eruption. Have fun with this simple yet entertaining experiment that still enchants students whenever done.

Materials:

• Empty bottle

• couple drops of dish soap

• one tbsp. of warm water

• white vinegar

• food coloring

• baking soda

• empty bottle

• cardboard, shoe box lid, or pie pan

• paper-mache paste(mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water to get a "thick glue-like" consistency)

• newspaper

• masking tape

• paintbrush

• paint

• narrow utensil or stick(for stirring)

Instructions:

1. Tape the bottle to the cardboard, shoe box lid, pie pan, or any surface of your preference. You can even decorate the base of the volcano by crumbling up paper and taping it around the bottle.

2. Take crumpled newspaper and put it around the sides of the bottle. Take everything down so that it is secure. Do not cover the opening of the bottle.

3. Tear the newspapers into strips. Take a strip and dip it into the paper mache paste or use a paintbrush and paint the paste onto the paintbrush and stick it onto the volcano. Repeat this process for the rest of the newspaper strips.

4. Make sure that the volcano and the base is completely covered.

5. Wait for a day for the paste to dry. If you would like to add another layer or paper strips you may do so, but if not you can paint your volcano!

6. To actually make the volcano erupt, add the warm water, dish soap, baking soda, and stir it all together.

7. Pour the white vinegar into a separate cup and add some drops of food coloring.

8. Pour the vinegar into the crater(the opening of the bottle) and watch your very own volcano's eruption!

Science Behind It:

• The eruption is a chemical reaction between vinegar and backing soda which produces a gas called carbon dioxide. This is the same carbon dioxide that people exhale and the one that is used to make the carbonation in sodas.

• When carbon dioxide is produced, pressure is built up inside the plastic bottle, until the gas bubbles come out of the mouth of the volcano(causing the eruption to occur).

• The red lava is the product of the chemical reaction that occurs among baking soda and vinegar.