How to Make a Baking Soda Volcano

Project Overview: Have you ever thought a volcano eruption was cool? Well to make it on your own, use household items to create a cool explosion just like how a volcano explodes!

Material:

• 1 small plastic bottle 

• A tray or baking sheet to catch the overflow

• Modeling clay or play dough to build the volcano

• 2–3 tablespoons of baking soda

• ½–1 cup of white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap (optional, for extra foamy lava)

• 5–10 drops of red, orange, or yellow food coloring (optional)

• A small funnel 

• Measuring spoons and a measuring cup

• Safety Goggles

• Gloves (optional)

Instructions:

1. First gear up by wearing your safety goggles and gloves since you are handling chemicals, please be safe and have an adult with you to supervise!

2. Now place a tray or baking sheet on the table to catch any overflowing foam

3. Place the plastic bottle in the center of your workspace

4. Use modeling clay or play dough to shape a mountain around the bottle, leaving the opening of the bottle uncovered since that is where the eruption takes place

5. If you’d like, decorate your volcano by painting it or using rocks/trees 

6. Use a funnel to pour 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into the bottle, make sure the baking soda settles at the bottom

7. Add 5-10 drops of food coloring to the bottle to resemble lava

8. Then add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap if you’d like to make thicker, longer-lasting foam

9. Measure ½-1 cup of white vinegar in a separate cup

10. Now to create the eruption, slowly pour the vinegar into the bottle

11. Within seconds, the vinegar mixes with the baking soda, causing a bubbling reaction. The foam rises quickly and spills over the sides of the volcano to resemble lava flowing down a mountain

Explanation:

The volcano erupts because baking soda and vinegar react when they are mixed together. Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they combine, they make a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas creates lots of bubbles that push the liquid up and out of the bottle. If you add dish soap, it traps the bubbles and makes the reaction extra foamy.