lava lamp experiment using baking soda

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How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp With Baking Soda

July 28, 2020 by Ana Dziengel 1 Comment

Let’s learn how to make a DIY lava lamp  using  Arm & Hammer Baking Soda ! This is a mess-free chemical reaction that will mesmerize kids!

This post is sponsored by Arm & Hammer. All opinions are my own.

I have made DIY lava lamps many different ways over the years but this is the first time I tried it with a layer of baking soda at the bottom. What I love most about this method is you can continue to activate it for a loooooong time and that means parents, you might just get an extra 5 minutes to yourself today.

Today’s project is the second science experiment of Arm & Hammer Summer Camp!  I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of this fantastic summer resource as the science counselor!

DIY Lava Lamp

Downloadable directions here.

• 1 clear plastic bottle or jar with cap
• 4 tablespoons of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda
• 12 ounces of vegetable oil (may need more or less depending on the bottle size)
• ¼ cup vinegar
• Food coloring
• Plastic cup
• Pipette or eye dropper
• Measuring cup

Instructions

Time needed:  15 minutes.

Using the funnel, pour 4 tablespoons of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into the bottle or jar. Let it settle into a flat layer at the bottom of the bottle.

Pour in the vegetable oil carefully to avoid disturbing the layer of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and set aside.

Pour vinegar into the plastic cup. Add 3-4 drops of food color and stir to combine.

Use the pipette to add 5-6 drops of colored vinegar to the plastic bottle. Watch the reaction.

Continue to add drops of vinegar until bubbles stop floating to the surface. If your pipette is long enough you can also stick it down into the layer of baking soda for a big burst of action!

Tips/Suggestions: 

• Even though this DIY lava lamp is a mess free chemical reaction, I recommend doing this on a tray to protect the surface below during the pouring process.
• If you use multiple colors of vinegar eventually the colors will combine.
• Try doing this in different sized containers. Does the container shape alter or change the look of the lava lamp reaction?

The science behind a DIY lava lamp

Acid/base chemical reactions.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a chemical compound known as a base . A base is substance that releases hydroxide ions when combined with water. An acid is a substance that contains a high concentration of positive hydrogen ions. In this experiment vinegar is the acid.

When an acid and a base are combined, a chemical reaction occurs. During a chemical reaction, chemical bonds in a substance are either destroyed or created. When sodium bicarbonate and vinegar are combined they react and produce carbon dioxide, a gas which you see bubble up as soon as the vinegar droplets come into contact with the baking soda.

We have more chemical reactions you can try here!

Oil and vinegar do not mix because of polarity. Polarity is a concept used to describe how certain molecules are attracted to or repel other molecules. Vinegar is an acid and its molecules are polar, meaning the molecules have slightly charged poles. Polar molecules are attached to each other.

Oil contains fatty acids and non-polar molecules which are attracted to other non-polar molecules. Polar and non-polar molecules repel each other, therefore the vinegar droplets will not mix with the oil, giving you a colorful lava lamp style display.

I love this simple DIY lava lamp experiment because you can make it using just a few simple pantry ingredients and recycled jar. It doesn’t  get any easier than this! If you missed yesterday’s camp science experiment, go here.

If you enjoyed this experiment and would like to see the other fun Arm & Hammer Summer Camp activities, check out Arm & Hammer’s YouTube channel.

Brenda Lang says

December 22, 2020 at 5:54 am

Omgosh! This is too cool. Can’t wait to try this out but not until after Christmas.

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How to make a lava lamp with baking soda?

Lava lamps have been a popular decorative item for many years. Their mesmerizing flow of colorful bubbles can create a relaxing and captivating atmosphere. While lava lamps may seem like a complicated item to make, you can actually create your own version with a few simple ingredients, including baking soda! In this article, we will guide you through the process of making a lava lamp with baking soda, step by step.

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In this article:

Materials Needed:

To make a lava lamp with baking soda, you will need the following materials: – An empty water bottle (preferably transparent) – Vegetable oil – Water – Food coloring – Baking soda – Vinegar

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Follow these simple steps to make your very own lava lamp with baking soda:

1. Fill the water bottle: Start by filling the empty water bottle around one-fourth to one-third full with water.

2. Add vegetable oil: Next, pour vegetable oil into the bottle, filling it the rest of the way. Leave some space at the top.

3. Add color: Add a few drops of your desired food coloring into the mixture. You can choose any color you like or experiment with a combination of colors for a vibrant effect.

4. Wait for separation: Allow the oil and water to separate completely. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, so be patient.

While waiting for the oil and water to separate, mix one tablespoon of baking soda with water in a separate container. Stir until the baking soda dissolves completely.

6. Pour the baking soda mixture: Carefully pour the baking soda mixture into the water bottle. Make sure not to spill any of the baking soda solution into the oil.

7. Observe the reaction: Watch as the baking soda mixture reacts with the colored water. Bubbles will start to form and rise to the surface.

Why does the reaction occur?

The reaction occurs due to the chemical combination of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), producing carbon dioxide gas.

9. Add vinegar: Now, gradually add vinegar to the water bottle using a funnel or eyedropper. As the vinegar reacts with the baking soda, more carbon dioxide gas will be produced, causing the bubbles to rise and fall.

What kind of vinegar should I use?

Any type of vinegar will work for this experiment; white vinegar is commonly used and readily available.

11. Enjoy the show: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the mesmerizing lava lamp effect as the bubbles continue to form and change colors.

How long does the reaction last?

The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of materials used and the rate of gas production.

Can I reuse the lava lamp?

Yes, you can reuse the lava lamp multiple times. However, the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar will become less intense with each use.

Can I use other types of oil?

While vegetable oil is the most commonly used oil for making lava lamps, you can experiment with other types of oil, such as baby oil or mineral oil, to achieve different effects.

Can I use different containers?

Yes, you can use different transparent containers, such as glass jars or plastic bottles, to create a lava lamp with baking soda. Just ensure they have a tight seal to prevent any leakage.

Is the lava lamp safe?

While making a lava lamp with baking soda is generally safe, it is essential to handle the materials with care. The reaction does produce carbon dioxide gas, so ensure the room is well-ventilated.

Can I add additional decorations?

Absolutely! You can get creative and add glitter or sequins to your lava lamp for an extra touch of sparkle. Just make sure they are non-toxic and won’t disrupt the reaction.

Now that you know how to make a lava lamp with baking soda, you can enjoy the magical and captivating display of colors and bubbles right at home. Experiment with different colors, oils, and containers to create your unique lava lamp creations!

Watch this awesome video to spice up your cooking!

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Melissa loves nothing more than a good dinner party and spends weeks intricately planning her next 'event.' The food must be delicious, the wine and cocktails must be the perfect match, and the decor has to impress without being over the top. It's a wonder that she gets any time to write about her culinary adventures. She particularly loves all types of fusion cooking, mixing the best of different food cultures to make interesting and unique dishes. Melissa lives in New York with her boyfriend Joe and their poodle, Princess.

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How to Make a Lava Lamp With Baking Soda

Lava lamps are a classic example of what the phrase “cool science” is all about. They look great, and they make for some entertaining experiments with kids. A lava lamp consists of two parts: oil and water.

The oil rises to the top while the heavier water sinks, creating an effect that looks like bubbling hot wax in a lava lamp ! We’ll show you how to make a lava lamp with baking soda or other household items at home in this post! 

10 Ways on How to Make a Lava Lamp

1. pour baking soda into the water.

Pour baking soda into the water to give your lava lamp a chemical kick. As it bubbles up, it will cause an exciting reaction with the oil and create a whole new experience! You can also put glitter in your lava lamp to give it a little sparkle.

2. Pour Vinegar Into the Water

Instead of water and baking soda, you can also try vinegar in your lava lamp. As the bubbles rise to the top, they’ll pop, leaving you with the vinegar smell as a reminder that this science experiment is super easy to make! This experiment teaches you how to make a lava lamp from scratch.

3. Add Food Coloring

A classic lava lamp has red goo floating on top of yellowy goo. But you can mix it up a bit by adding different food colors to your lava lamp! Just keep an eye on your color combinations so that you don’t end up with green lava. The recipes for the homemade lava lamp ingredients are below.

4. Make a Frozen Lava Lamp With Milk or Orange Juice

Mix milk or orange juice in with your water for a cool frozen lava lamp experience. The thicker liquids will sink but not freeze, leaving you with a frozen lava lamp! Make a frozen soda drink by pouring some diet coke into the water and swirling it around before you put the ice in. This will give your frozen lava lamp a multi-colored effect.

5. Add Food B granules or Corn Syrup

Baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring get boring after a while. To make your lava lamp experiments more exciting again, try adding some Baking Powder from the kitchen to create an extra bubbling reaction! We’ve seen a few lava lamp experiments with baking soda, but this one from Burp Blurp takes the cake! With just three simple ingredients and a jar, you can make your own Lava Lamp experiment that won’t stop bubbling!

6. Pour In a Different Liquid

The recipe for your lava lamp is very versatile, so you can easily mix it up by pouring in something completely different from the water! For example, try combining oil and alcohol to make your own reaction experiment. Simply substitute the water in your lava lamp with a mixture of alcohol and oil. Just ensure you don’t use more than a quarter of the bottle because if you do, the lava lamp might overflow!

7. Mix a Solution of Salt in Water

Mix a solution of salt in water for an exciting lava lamp. The salt will give it a cool, icy feel you’ve never experienced! You will also notice the water never gets cold.

8. Pour in Some Liquid Glue

Another alternative to water is liquid glue! The thicker consistency of the glue will rise and fall between the oil and vinegar, bringing a whole new experience to your lava lamp with baking soda. 

9. Add Vegetable Oil Instead of Olive Oil

The most common lava lamp recipe includes olive oil and water. It’s a pretty good mixture, but you can spice things up by switching to vegetable oil instead! It’ll add an interesting smell while still creating the classic rising and falling effect.

10. Add Shaving Cream or Cola

If your lava lamp mixture is too runny, try adding some shaving cream to the mix and stirring until it becomes thicker! This works especially well if your lava lamp isn’t producing many reactions and needs an extra kick. 

You Can Check It Out to Make Lava Lamp Without Alka Seltzer

10 Reasons Why You Should Make a Lava Lamp With Baking Soda

• It’s fun and creative!
• You can use what you already have at home (if not, quite cheap to buy)
• It takes about 15 minutes, and supplies are easy to find
• Does a great science experiment for the kids – or fall asleep watching one of them!
• Works with LED candles
• Works for all ages – it’s mesmerizing!
• A fun get-together activity if you have your friends over
• It’s a great conversation starter
• You can add different things to the soda (dye, glitter, food coloring) or try Coke instead of water
• It takes about 1 hour to dissolve the baking soda completely, so you can watch as it dissolves over and over

Materials You’ll Need:

• A clear glass container
• LED flickering tealight candles or tea lights
• Baking Soda – 1 cup to 2 cups works fine.
• Water about three tablespoons
• Large measuring cup with at least 4 cups

12 Steps on How to Make a Lava Lamp With Baking Soda

Get a plastic bottle with a cap or lid (make sure it is clean). We used an empty dish detergent container. Cut off the bottom about 1″ above the bottom of the label. You may also want to cut out part of the cap and/or lid so that your lava will pour more easily, but it’s unnecessary.

Pour in the baking soda until it is about 1″ from the top and shake it up to ensure all baking soda has contact with water. (The more you put, the thicker your lava will be.) Then break open a glow stick and pour that in too so that it doesn’t leak out.

Put the lid on and shake it up again to get the glow stick going. (It may take a minute or so.) If you put too much baking soda in, add another glow stick and shake it again. Or you can try putting in some water if there is extra room at the top without making it overflow.

Put the lava lamp on something to catch some of the baking soda that will be overflowing, and put something next to it to catch the glow-stick fluid. You can also make a small hole in a cardboard box and put that under it to help keep your desk clean. Then flip the switch or plug it in and watch the lava flow!!

To turn it off, flip the switch or unplug it. If you want to make a new batch of lava, take out all the baking soda and glow-stick fluid so that all you have left is water in your lamp and put it somewhere safe till you are ready to use it again.

You can also make a colored lava lamp by putting in food coloring before adding the baking soda and shaking it up to mix it well. This will add color but won’t change the thickness of your lava. (I’m not sure if this would work with other chemicals like Kool-Aid or dish soap.)

It is also possible to use a lava lamp without the glow sticks. You can fill in the rest of the way with water and shake up some baking soda with water, but don’t put in enough to overflow, then pour that into your lava lamp when you are ready to use it. You may have to put more in later if it starts to overflow.

If you are running the lava in a partially filled bottle, it will stop flowing and get very thick. You can fix this two ways. One way is to take out some of the baking soda. The second way is to put in more water, so there’s still room for more baking soda before it overflows.

To clean your lava lamp, take out all the baking soda and flush it down the drain. Then pour in more water to rinse it out. Finally, you can shake up some more baking soda with water to eliminate any food coloring or other residue that might be left behind.

You can “recharge” a glow stick by putting it in hot water (not boiling) for a couple of minutes. They will last longer in the lava lamp, but as long as you don’t leave them in there too long, they should still glow when you are done playing with your lava lamp and want to save it for later.

Add some water if your lava starts getting too thick and you don’t have a glow stick to fix it. If it overflows, put it in a larger bottle or try using less baking soda next time.

You can use any plastic bottle with a cap or lid f o r your lava lamp as long as the cap fits well, so the baking soda doesn’t come out. You can also use a plastic sandwich bag if you cut off some corners and it is dark enough to see through.

Some Tips and Suggestions:

While appearing to be relatively simple toys, lava lamps are more of a science project.

• Make sure you have all the supplies before getting started. Lava lamps typically use boric acid (very toxic), water, and food coloring (harmless). The usual ratio is two teaspoons worth of boric acid for every cup of water.
• As a precautionary measure, the liquid used must be non-toxic because it will stay in the lamp until it evaporates. That being said, although baking soda is non-toxic when eaten, you probably don’t want to take a bath in it.
• Lava lamp making is messy. Have fun doing this project on a day you won’t mind looking like an accident victim at the end of it!
• When using baking soda, be careful to have all windows open and preferably wear a mask. While it’s true that the chemical reaction for this reaction is slow, it’s still coming out of a volcano-like tube (which you could be using). Baking soda can irritate your nose and eyes but won’t seriously hurt you unless you eat the stuff.
• Make sure to keep children (or pets) away while making this. It might look cool, but it’s probably not worth it if you’re going to get hurt.

What Does Baking Soda Do in a Lava Lamp?

Baking soda is a leavening agent. It causes carbon dioxide to form from the carbon dioxide, water, and heat already in your lava lamp (or any container). This gas will cause an “explosion” of sorts inside the lava lamp, so you should only use baking soda with a lid that can accommodate expansion.

Baking soda is also a colorant. When baking soda decomposes in the lava lamp, it creates carbon dioxide gas and sodium bicarbonate (otherwise known as baking soda). The sodium bicarbonate will not only turn your lamps pink but also give them their characteristic acidic odor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i use baking soda instead of alka seltzer for lava lamp.

Baking soda is not a good substitute for Alka Seltzer for lava lamps. Baking soda is not acidic and will not react with sulfur dioxide to create a beautiful light show.

What Liquid Is in a Lava Lamp?

A lava lamp is a decoration with a lightbulb at the top that emits a glowing liquid, usually mineral oil or paraffin. The liquid gradually solidifies as it cools, forming small rocks and clumps.

Can Lava Lamps Expire?

Yes, lava lamps can expire. The lifespan of a lava lamp is typically around 6-12 months, but it can vary depending on the type and quality of the lamp.

Conclusion:

This post has shown you how to make a lava lamp with baking soda. We hope this was helpful and answered any questions that you had about the process of making one. If not, please feel free to contact us so we can help out!

Jennifer Branett

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Homemade Lava Lamps: Chemistry in action!

Did you have a lava lamp growing up? As it turns out, it is easy and inexpensive to create your own lava lamp while learning a thing or two about chemistry.

Creating your own lava lamp is a great way to showcase the reaction between vinegar and baking soda to your child in a colorful way. Plus, given the nature of this experiment, the reaction continues for quite some time!

It’s easy to set up and there are tons of lessons you can teach your child with this experiment, including chemistry, how colors mix to create new colors, and challenging their fine motor skills.

How to make the Lava Lamp science experiment

Supplies you will need.

For the Lava Lamp experiment, you’ll need:

• A container (we used a tall mason jar)
• Cooking oil
• Baking soda
• Food coloring

Before you start

Due to the reaction occurring in this experiment, do not use a lid on your container!

Instructions

Here is how to do the Lava Lamp science experiment:

Step 1: Add baking soda to the container

Add enough baking soda to cover the bottom of your container, plus a little extra.

Get your child involved : Have your child add the baking soda to the container! I helped guide the baking soda to the container and then let her pour it. It’s great for helping your child follow directions!

Step 2: Add cooking oil to the container

Start pouring the cooking oil directly on top of the baking soda. Don’t worry – they won’t mix. Even if they mix at first, the baking soda will settle back to the bottom of your container.

Since the cooking oil is where you will see the action of this experiment – don’t skimp! I filled my container about 1/2 full with cooking oil, but that’s because we were running low. Ideally, I would have filled it about 2/3 full!

Get your child involved : I also let my child pour in the cooking oil. Since the cooking oil bottle was pretty large and heavy, I helped her get the bottle up to the mason jar and helped her start pouring. From there, she poured the rest.

Step 3: Create your colored vinegar in a separate container

I used a small ramekin for my colored vinegar. I filled it about halfway full, then added 3-4 drops of food coloring (you can add more if you want a deeper color). Then, use your pipette to give it a good swirl to mix it together.

Get your child involved : Let your child add however many droplets of food coloring to your vinegar. Even better if you can mix colors to create new colors, then talk about it!

Step 4: Use a pipette to add colored vinegar to the container

The reaction will be pretty slow at first because there is quite a bit of baking soda at the bottom of the mason jar and very little vinegar.

The more colored vinegar you add, the bigger the reaction!

Get your child involved : Allow your child to do this step entirely on their own! It’s fantastic for fine motor skills and it lets them take charge of the reaction.

Try experimenting

We wanted to see what would happen if we added multiple colors to the experiment at once.

• Would the colors mix into one color?
• Would each individual color stay intact?

We found that each color stayed separate from the others, giving us a pretty neat-looking lava lamp! Be sure to hit play in the video below to watch the individual colors in the lava lamp.

The science behind the Lava Lamp science experiment

The Lava Lamp experiment is excellent for learning about chemistry and seeing the reaction between an acid and a base!

How it works

The Lava Lamp experiment is a classic vinegar-baking soda experiment. The difference this time is that the reaction takes place in the cooking oil, creating colorful beads bouncing around.

As we add the colored vinegar to the container, it sinks to the bottom because vinegar is more dense than oil.

Once it reaches the baking soda at the bottom of the container, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles mixed with vinegar, which float to the surface of the oil. When it reaches the surface, the bubble pops and colored vinegar sinks back down to cause another reaction. This is how you see dancing colored bubbles.

More chemistry experiments to try out with your child

• Fizzing lemons experiment – using lemons and baking soda to make a lemon volcano
• Magic Milk experiment – an explosion of colors with a chemical reaction lesson
• Fizzing paint experiment – another vinegar and baking soda reaction, but with an artistic twist!

FAQ about the Lava Lamp Science Experiment

How do you make the lava lamp experiment with alka seltzer.

Since Alka Seltzer provides carbon dioxide bubbles without the use of vinegar and baking soda, you will need fewer ingredients for the lava lamp experiment.

Simply fill the bottom of your container 1/3 of the way full with water, add the food coloring you desire, fill the rest of your container with oil, and add the Alka Seltzer.

Make Your Own Lava Lamp: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Fun Science Experiment

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To make your own lava lamp, you'll need a clear bottle, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and an Alka-Seltzer tablet. Start by filling the bottle 3/4 full with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Then, pour about 1/4 cup of oil into the bottle and watch it float on top. Drop a small piece of the Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle and observe the bubbles rising through the oil, creating a mesmerizing lava effect. Seal the bottle tightly and place it on a light source to enhance the visual experience. Keep exploring to discover more customization techniques and stunning visual effects.

Gather Materials

Round up a clear 16-oz soda bottle, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and an Alka-Seltzer tablet. You'll also need a funnel and measuring cups to precisely pour the liquids.

Make certain the soda bottle is clean and dry. Remove any labels, as they can interfere with the lava lamp effect. You can use a bottle of any size, but a 16-oz bottle is ideal for creating a visually appealing lava lamp.

Vegetable oil is the best choice for this project because it's clear, inexpensive, and readily available. You'll need enough oil to fill about 2/3 of the bottle.

Food coloring adds vibrant hues to your lava lamp. Choose a color that contrasts well with the clear liquids, such as red, blue, or green.

An Alka-Seltzer tablet provides the chemical reaction that makes the lava lamp work. The tablet releases carbon dioxide gas when it comes into contact with water, causing the colored water droplets to rise and fall through the oil.

Gather all these materials in one place before you start the project to guarantee a smooth and enjoyable lava lamp-making experience.

Mix Water and Food Coloring

First, choose your desired food coloring for the lava lamp.

Next, fill a glass or plastic bottle about 3/4 full with water, and add a few drops of the food coloring.

Gently mix the water until the food coloring is evenly distributed.

Choose Desired Color

You'll need to choose your desired lava lamp color and mix it with water. Consider the ambiance you want to create with your lava lamp. Bright, vibrant colors like red, blue, or green can energize a room, while softer hues like purple or pink can create a calming atmosphere. You can also mix colors to create unique shades.

Once you've selected your color, add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Start with a small amount and gradually add more until you achieve the desired intensity. Keep in mind that the color will appear lighter when the lamp is lit, so you may want to make it slightly darker than your intended shade.

Stir the water and food coloring mixture thoroughly to guarantee even distribution. If you're using multiple colors, be careful not to overmix them, as this can result in a muddy appearance.

Aim for a swirling, marbled effect for a visually appealing lava lamp.

Add to Water

To create the colored water for your lava lamp, pour the water into a clear container, such as a measuring cup or bowl.

Carefully add 10 to 20 drops of your chosen food coloring, depending on the desired intensity. Use a spoon or stirrer to thoroughly mix the water and food coloring until you achieve a uniform hue. If you'd like a more vibrant color, add a few extra drops, but be cautious not to overdo it.

Once you're satisfied with the color, it's time to transfer the mixture to your lava lamp bottle.

Slowly pour the colored water into the bottle, ensuring that you don't splash or spill any of the liquid. Fill the bottle about two-thirds to three-quarters full, leaving enough room for the oil and the lava lamp effect to occur.

If you accidentally pour too much water, you can use a turkey baster or a small cup to remove the excess.

With the colored water now in the bottle, you're ready to move on to the next step in creating your mesmerizing lava lamp.

Pour about 1/4 cup of oil into the bottle. You can use any type of light cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola oil.

The oil should sit on top of the water because it's less dense. If you don't have a measuring cup, simply pour the oil until it fills about one-third of the bottle.

Observe how the oil and water don't mix. They remain as separate layers due to their different densities. This is a key principle in creating a lava lamp effect.

At this point, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the bottle. The food coloring will sink through the oil layer and mix with the water below.

Choose any color you like, or experiment with multiple colors for a unique effect.

Next, break an effervescent tablet, such as Alka-Seltzer, into a few small pieces. Drop one piece into the bottle and watch as the chemical reaction begins.

The tablet will react with the water, creating bubbles that rise through the oil layer, carrying the colored water with them. This creates the mesmerizing lava lamp effect.

Create the Lava Effect

Drop a small piece of the effervescent tablet into the bottle and watch the magic happen. As the tablet dissolves, it'll release carbon dioxide gas, which attaches to the water droplets. This makes them less dense than the surrounding oil, causing them to float upwards.

When the gas escapes at the top, the water sinks back down, creating a mesmerizing lava-like effect.

To enhance your lava lamp experience:

• Experiment with different colors by adding food coloring to the water.
• Try using various sizes of effervescent tablet pieces to control the speed and size of the "lava" blobs.
• Place a flashlight or LED light beneath the bottle to illuminate the hypnotic display.

The key to creating a stunning lava lamp effect lies in the density difference between the water and oil. The effervescent tablet provides the catalyst for the movement, while the colored water adds visual appeal.

With a little experimentation, you'll be able to fine-tune your lava lamp to create an enchanting display that'll leave you and your friends in awe of this simple yet fascinating science experiment.

Seal the Bottle

Once you've finished creating the lava effect, it's time to seal the bottle.

Tighten the cap securely onto the bottle, making sure it's not cross-threaded.

Double-check for any leaks by turning the bottle upside down and watching for any liquid escaping.

Tighten Cap Securely

Why risk a leaky lava lamp? Once you've added all the ingredients to your bottle, it's vital to tighten the cap securely to prevent any spills or leaks. A properly sealed bottle guarantees that your lava lamp will function as intended, providing hours of mesmerizing entertainment.

When tightening the cap, keep these tips in mind:

• Use a bottle with a tight-fitting, leak-proof cap
• Confirm the bottle's neck and cap threads are clean and dry
• Twist the cap firmly, applying even pressure to create a secure seal

Double-check that the cap is tightly closed by gently turning it counterclockwise. If it doesn't budge, you've successfully sealed your lava lamp.

In the event that the cap feels loose or you notice any leaks, carefully remove the cap, clean the threads, and try again. A well-sealed bottle is essential for the proper function and longevity of your homemade lava lamp.

With a securely tightened cap, you're one step closer to enjoying the enchanting display of colorful, bubbling "lava" in your very own DIY creation.

Double-Check for Leaks

After tightening the cap, it's vital to double-check your lava lamp bottle for any potential leaks.

Hold the bottle upside down over a sink or bowl for a minute to see if any liquid escapes. If you notice any drips or leaks, you'll need to re-seal the bottle more securely.

Ensure the cap is screwed on tightly and that the seal is properly aligned. If the leak persists, try using a different cap or bottle. It's important to have a completely leak-proof container to prevent any mess or damage to your surroundings.

Once you've confirmed that your lava lamp is leak-free, you can proceed to the next step.

If you're satisfied with the seal, give the bottle a gentle shake to observe the interaction between the oil and water. The densities of the two liquids should cause them to separate, creating the mesmerizing lava lamp effect.

Illuminate Your Lava Lamp

A few simple steps will bring your lava lamp to life with a stunning glow. First, find a suitable light source, such as a small LED light or a battery-operated tea light candle. Place the light source underneath the lava lamp bottle, making sure it's centered and stable. If you're using a plug-in light, verify that the cord is safely positioned and not a tripping hazard.

When choosing a light source for your lava lamp, consider these factors:

• Brightness : Confirm the light is bright enough to illuminate the lava lamp effectively.
• Size : Choose a light source that fits comfortably under the bottle without causing instability.
• Heat : Avoid using high-heat light sources, as they may damage the bottle or cause the lava to move too quickly.

Once your light source is in place, switch it on and marvel at the stunning display of color and motion within your DIY lava lamp. The light will illuminate the liquid and wax, creating a fascinating visual effect that's perfect for relaxation or as a unique decorative piece in your room.

Experiment and Customize

Experimenting with your DIY lava lamp is half the fun! Once you've mastered the basic recipe, it's time to customize and create your own unique designs.

Try using different colors of food coloring to create a vibrant, multi-hued lamp. You can also experiment with the amount of water and oil to alter the size and speed of the "lava" blobs.

For a more dramatic effect, consider adding glitter or small beads to the mixture. These will catch the light and add an extra layer of visual interest.

Another option is to use a shaped bottle, such as a heart or star, to give your lava lamp a distinctive look.

Don't be afraid to get creative and try out different combinations. Keep a record of your experiments so you can replicate your favorite designs.

With a little imagination and some trial and error, you'll soon have a collection of one-of-a-kind lava lamps that reflect your personal style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to use any type of oil.

For your safety, stick to using vegetable or mineral oil. Avoid oils with low smoke points or unknown ingredients. Always handle the oil carefully and clean up any spills immediately to prevent accidents.

Can I Use a Plastic Bottle Instead of Glass?

You can use a plastic bottle instead of glass, but it's not recommended. Plastic can melt or release chemicals when exposed to heat, which is necessary for the lava lamp effect. Stick with glass for safety.

How Long Will the Lava Lamp Effect Last?

The lava lamp effect can last for several hours, but it'll gradually slow down as the reaction weakens. You can extend the effect by adding more salt or Alka-Seltzer tablets when needed.

Can I Use Baking Soda Instead of Alka-Seltzer?

You can use baking soda instead of Alka-Seltzer, but you'll need to add vinegar to create the reaction. It won't last as long or be as impressive as using Alka-Seltzer tablets, though.

Is It Possible to Create a Larger Lava Lamp?

Sure, you can create a larger lava lamp by using a bigger bottle or container, increasing the amounts of water, oil, and Alka-Seltzer. Just make sure to maintain the proper ratio between ingredients.

You've just created your very own lava lamp! It's a fun, easy science experiment that's perfect for rainy days or anytime you want to explore the fascinating world of density and immiscibility. Don't be afraid to experiment with different colors, oil types, and additives to create your own unique lava lamp designs. With a little creativity and curiosity, you'll be amazed at the mesmerizing, colorful displays you can create in a bottle.

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Lava Lamp Science Experiment 🌋 ages 3+ 🌋 One of my most asked questions is if there is a way to do the lava lamp experiment without Alka-Seltzer or effervescent tablets and the answer is YES!! You can us baking soda and vinegar and it works just as well! Here’s how to do it:

DIY LAVA LAMP VIDEO TUTORIAL:

Check out the below video tutorial to see how we made our lava lamps without alka-seltzer!

MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE A LAVA LAMP

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• Baking soda
• Vegetable oil
• White vinegar
• Food coloring

HOW TO MAKE A LAVA LAMP WITHOUT ALKA SELTZER

• Next pour some vinegar into small cups and add food coloring to dye the vinegar your favorite color. 

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN

The vinegar is slightly heavier than the oil so it sinks to the bottom of the glass when added to the oil. Once the vinegar hits the bottom of the glass, it reacts with the baking soda and produced carbon dioxide gas. These gas bubbles attach to the vinegar and pull it to the top. Once at the top of the mixture the bubbles pop and the vinegar falls to the bottom again to repeat the process! So cool!

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Lava Lamp Experiment

Making temporary lava lamps is a fun, colorful and easy science experiment sure to keep your kids engaged and entertained, all while learning about basic chemical reactions. Depending on which products you have in your home, here are instructions for two different ways you can make your own lava lamp at home.

Baking Soda Lava Lamp

• Tall empty jar or bottle
• Baking Soda
• Food coloring
• Vegetable oil

What You’ll Do

• Put a few tablespoons of baking soda at the bottom of the jar.
• Add water until the jar is one-quarter full.
• Add 5-10 drops of food coloring and gently mix all ingredients in the jar to combine.
• Add vegetable oil until the jar is three-quarters full.
• With the jar on a flat surface, slowly add in vinegar one tablespoon at a time. Add more as needed.
• Watch the lava lamp activate!

Antacid Lava Lamp

What You’ll Need

• Antacid tablet
• Fill the jar half-way with vegetable oil.
• Add water until the jar is about three-quarters full.
• Add 5-10 drops of food coloring.
• Break an antacid tablet into several pieces and drop the pieces into the jar one at a time.

Safety Tip! Do NOT put a lid on the jar or bottle while the mixture is active and bubbling.

Add Fun! Do this experiment in a dark room and put a flashlight or other light behind the jar for an extra groovy experience.

What Kids Learn

• Critical Thinking

How to Support the Play

• Ask lots of questions. Especially ones without a yes/no or right/wrong answer. “Why do you think that happened?” or “What do you think will happen next?”
• Remember: There is often more than one “right way” of doing things.
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How To Make A Lava Lamp

Sometimes we try something that makes the boys just stop and silently stare in wonder. Other times my kids come up with brilliant ideas that result in some pretty amazing things. This week both things happened when we made DIY Lava Lamps! They were mesmerized by the bubbles and it started them asking some fascinating questions that lead into a brand new Lava Lamp Experiment that turned into a wonderful learning experience. All child led!

DIY LAVA LAMP EXPERIMENT

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This simple science experiment is always a huge hit with kids of all ages. The best part was seeing how their minds were thinking, analyzing and contemplating as they watch the bubbles bouncing up, before they sink down. Moving around in mesmerizing ways in our lava lamps.

As an educator I love how easy it is to do this experiment. Kids of all ages and abilities can benefit from this activity. I recommend it for preschool and up, as long as they are old enough to not be spilling or playing with the mix in the jars. They need to be mature enough to be able to just watch and enjoy the reaction, which is truly mesmerizing and relaxing. Even adults will enjoy watching the bubbling lava reaction.

The kids and I were fascinated by the little beads of colour that bounced joyfully in our bottles.

Check out our Lava Lamp Video

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DIY Lava Lamp Materials

There are a few different options for making your lava lamp so you can pick the option that works best with your readily available supplies, but let’s start with a complete supply list for all the different options. Then you can try them all and see what works best for you!

Jars or Bottles – clear (we found washed, large juice bottles worked well, but so do mason jars) Water Tonic Water Oil (vegetable or baby oil , I prefer baby oil because it is clear) Alka Seltzer tablet (or Eno or similar) Liquid Food Colouring Photoluminescent pigment Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) Citric Acid Vinegar

Basic DIY Lava Lamp Directions

Fill the bottom of the jar with water to about 1/4 full.

Next add vegetable oil. Fill the bottle leaving about an inch at the top. In a mason jar I fill to the lip.

Next add a few drops of food colouring. This is a fascinating step watching as the drops of food coloring drops fall through the oil and rest on top of the water before slowly starting to mix with the water at the bottom of the container.

Now it’s time for the magic! Add a teaspoon of Alka Seltzer (if yours are in tablet form, break the tablets into quarters and add a quarter tablet to start).

Watch the lava lamp come to life with bubbles!

After a few minutes the reaction will settle down. To start it again, simply add more Alka Seltzer.

Test your variables now by adding a whole tablet. What happens?

If you want to store the container and use it at a later time simply set it somewhere safe. If you need to put a lid on the container, make sure the reaction has completely stopped as a gas is released and a build up of pressure from the reaction could cause the container to rupture if you place a lid on it.

Lava Lamp Without Alka Seltzer

If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand you can make a few substitutions.

Instead of vegetable oil you can use baby oil. We found it created a lot of bubbles and the clarity of the lava lamp was not as good, but it does still work.

Next, if you don’t have Alka Seltzer, you can make your own mix. If you ever make bath bombs like us, you already have the ingredients on hand! Simple mix 2 parts baking soda with 1 part citric acid. Add a teaspoon of the mixture and watch the reaction go! The best part is how this helps kids understand that it is once again an acid-base reaction charging our lava lamps. We love those acid-base reactions!

Now, what can you use instead of water? Well we came up with a cool solution that gives our homemade lava lamps glow power!

Glow in the Dark Lava Lamp

After building our first Bubble Bottle my son announced that he wanted to try it with Tonic Water instead of plain water to see if we could make a Glow Lava Lamp. Always ready to take things up a notch we decided to go for it. And it worked!

In fact, it resulted in some really cool and unexpected results. The food colouring sat in a layer between the oil and tonic water, only mixing once we added the antacid.

We then tried adding two different colours. With water as the base the colours started diffusing and blending right away. But with the tonic water the beads of colours once again sat on top of the tonic water. When we added the antacid the food colouring started diffusing but not before creating beads of colour in both colours before they slowly blended together to create our new colour.

Glow in the Dark Lava Lamps Without Tonic Water

So the next question was, “Can we make a lava lamp that glows without using tonic water?” Turns out the answer was YES!

Instead of food colouring we added some glow in the dark pigment (Photoluminescent pigment) to the water. The best part was that this one glowed without needing a black light. Although you can use the black light too.

This is the same glow in the dark powder we used in our Glow Moon Dough .

Lava Lamp Science Experiment

Our Lava Lamps teach so many science concepts.

First, it is a wonderful demonstration about density. Oil is lighter than water and floats on top of the bottom water layer. You can explore this by placing a lid on your lava lamp (only once the reaction is completely finished) and gently tipping the bottle back and forth to watch the waves that form.

Diffusion is also evident as the food colouring mixes with the water in colourful swirls.

Our glow power with Tonic Water is due to the fact that quinine, a component of Tonic Water, fluoresces under black light. We have a different science concept powering the other glow lava lamp.

When we made our Glow in the Dark Lava Lamp with photoluminescent pigment the glow happens even without black light. Glow in the dark pigment powder has luminescent phosphors which luminescence (glow). For this glow to work it needs to charge in the light. The Lava Lamp will need to charge in bright light in order to glow. Once it is charged simply turn off the lights to see the glow. As the glow fades, simply expose it to bright light to charge it again.

The chemical reaction that powers our lava lamp is an acid-base reaction that releases lots of Carbon Dioxide gas(CO 2 ). The gas bubbles up (because it is less dense than oil) with bits of the coloured water trapped. At the top the gas is released and the water bubble falls back down to start the process again. The water falls because it is more dense than the oil.

This does give us one final simple Lava Lamp method. What is our favourite acid and base reactions? Baking Soda and Vinegar !

A Final Quick and Easy Lava Lamp Experiment

If you are still stuck for supplies and need a really simple way of making a lava lamp. Here is an easy way!

Place 2 tablespoons of baking soda in the bottom of a mason jar. Pour oil into the jar. In a second container add vinegar and a few drops of food colouring, mix. Now, using a dropper, add a few drops of coloured vinegar to the top of the oil and watch the reaction!

As the bubbles float through the oil down into water the bubbly reaction will be triggered!

What other variables can you play with? What about using different types of oils? Maybe try using different types of food colouring. Change the temperature of the solutions. Try different measurements of the ingredients. Play with those variables as you create your own Lava Lamps and see what happens!

Which lava lamp version is your favourite?

Have fun creating lava lamps!

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

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Science Fun

DIY Lava Lamp Chemical Reaction Science Experiment

In this fun and easy science experiment, we are going to show you how to make a DIY lava lamp by using a chemical reaction. Most do-it-yourself lava lamp science experiments require the use of an Alka-Seltzer tablet, but in this version we are going to show you how to make an awesome lava lamp with a few items you probably already have in your kitchen. This is a great visual science experiment to observe and also provides insight into density. 

• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup of vinegar
• Food coloring
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon water
• Clear cup or glass
• Small bowl or cup
• Tray to catch and contain any spills caused by the bubbling chemical reaction.  

Instructions:

• Place the glass in the tray. 
• Add the 1 cup of vegetable oil to the glass.
• Next, add the 1/4 cup of vinegar.
• Add 4 to 8 drop of food coloring. 
• Mix well with the spoon.
• Now mix the baking soda and water in the small bowl. 
• Pour the baking soda and water mixture into the glass.
• Observe what happens. 

EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!

How it Works:

The oil is less dense and thus seems to float on the vinegar. The oil is also less dense than the baking soda and water mixture. When the mixture is poured into the glass, it sinks to the bottom and the chemical reaction occurs between the baking soda and vinegar. This endothermic chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide as well as causes the glass to cool noticeably. As the carbon dioxide bubbles rise toward the surface, little globs of colored water stick to the bubbles creating the lava lamp effect. As the bubbles reach the surface, they pop, and the colored water sinks back toward the bottom of the glass. 

Make This A Science Project:

Does the temperature of the vinegar effect the chemical reaction? Do other types of oil behave differently than the vegetable oil. Do different amounts of water or baking soda cause any noticeable changes in the chemical reaction?  

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Easy DIY Lava Lamp Science Experiment for Kids

Science Preschoolers Experiment Water Activities 66 Comments

Lava lamps are simple to make. Like crazy easy.

My kids love experimenting! And I love watching them discover the world through science and creativity.

Even I was shocked at what a big hit this easy DIY lava lamp science experiment was with the boys. Just 5 simple supplies are all you need to DIY your own!

To DIY your own lava lamp science experiment, you’ll needL

• Vegetable oil (or get a clear oil)
• Food coloring of your choice
• Alka-Seltzer Tablets  (as many as you choose, the more the merrier!)
• Clear container (the taller and skinnier, the better the effect)

Don’t have Alka Seltzer? See how to make a lava lamp without Alka Seltzer!

4 Simple Steps to Science Fun & Fizzies

• Fill the container with 2 parts oil, 1 part water, leaving some room at the top of the container for a little bit of bubbling
• Drop in a few drops of food coloring
• Add an Alka-Selzer Tablet, start with 1/4 or a half a tablet to begin with
• Watch is fizz and bubble up to the top!

We did three containers of lava lamps. Three different colors, for triple the lava fun!

It took a lot of oil, though. I wish I had more on hand because I didn’t quite have 2/3 for each container.

The oil is essentially the lava lamp portion, so it would have been nice to have more of it. But it still worked!

I also wish I had clear oil on hand instead of vegetable oil. But I’m not sure what kind of oil besides baby oil is clear. Any suggestions?

Henry dropped in tablet after tablet. Over and over, watching it bubble up! 

He used the entire box of Alka-Selzer just for this experiment!

The green one really captured his attention. 

Maybe because it’s his favorite color. Or maybe because it was the tallest and skinniest, so it had the best reactions.

Have more colorful science fun with an easy magic milk experiment !

It was even interesting from the top of the bottles. Or, at least Henry thought so.

Once we were starting to run out of Alka-Selzer tablets, we started combining the colors and making them bubble together.

We were surprised to see that the colored bubbled remained separate!

Instead of red bubbles mixing with blue bubbles to make purple, everything stayed red or blue. Cool, huh?!?!

Can you see the little red ones in the mix of the big blue bubbles?

We tend to do a lot of science in our house, with tons of easy experiments happening all the time.

The boys love anything that fizzes and bubbles. We also really like this baking soda and colored vinegar science experiment for kids.

What’s your favorite science experiment to do with the kids? Share your ideas in the comments!

About jamie reimer.

Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

Reader Interactions

66 comments.

September 26, 2023 at 11:38 am

Since oil and water separate, you can actually save the oil and use it for future lava lamps. Also, I recommend Alka Seltzer Gold, which has no aspirin.

Pedro walker says

March 25, 2021 at 12:52 am

PeoplePerProjectCom says

May 21, 2020 at 9:57 pm

There are a few different options for making your lava lamp so you can pick the option that works best with your readily available supplies, but let s start with a complete supply list for all the different options. Then you can try them all and see what works best for you!

Elsabe Kruger says

March 2, 2020 at 9:29 pm

Great idea, thank you! Avocado oil is totally clear!

Ivy Bell says

December 31, 2019 at 12:12 pm

I use mineral oil as a good clear, colorless oil. Find it in the pharmacy department.

March 7, 2015 at 4:29 pm

Baby Oil is made of just mineral oil and fragrance. So, mineral oil is just fragrance-free baby oil.

Aleigha says

February 14, 2015 at 9:12 am

What would the age group for the children for this project?

Jamie Reimer says

February 14, 2015 at 11:00 am

I think anywhere from 2 on up can take part in it Aleigha. Just depends on how much you want them to take part. Little kids can just drop the tablet in – that’s the fun part!

abbiee says

February 5, 2015 at 10:19 pm

the ocean waves in a bottle….love that one…

Veronica says

October 22, 2014 at 10:32 am

Would like to try this out, but wondering what do you do with it when the kids are done playing with it? Can you use baby oil instead of cooking oil?

October 22, 2014 at 12:50 pm

Veronica — discard it just like you would the grease from meat that you brown. Yes, you can use baby oil – that would actually have a better look because its clear.

May 9, 2014 at 12:31 am

So in love with this idea. We’ll try coconut oil, there are bunch of them in Thailand. ^^

MARIEL says

May 7, 2014 at 9:38 pm

IT DIDNT WORK.

May 8, 2014 at 11:02 am

Hmmm.. well that’s a bummer Mariel! How come it didn’t work?

May 7, 2014 at 8:48 am

Just a quick question how and where to dispose of the experiment when done?

Heather says

April 3, 2014 at 2:09 pm

You asked about alternative CLEAR OIL to use. I was a teacher of toddlers and preschoolers. MINERAL OIL is clear, cheap, and works. You can find it in pharmacy sections of stores where the laxatives are found. It is meant for possible ingestion so if accidentally swallowed or comes in contact with little mouths.. it is ok… Hope this helps.

April 3, 2014 at 9:22 pm

Thanks Heather! I’ll grab some when I get the Alka-Selzers again! That’s easy enough!

March 10, 2014 at 12:26 pm

Greta idea – looks like so much fun! I can’t wait to try it with my grandchildren! I found bulk white, food grade mineral oil online for only $13.97 for 7 1/2 lbs – and they had even larger, as well. Might be worth the effort for continued explorations!

gemma chadwick says

March 10, 2014 at 4:59 am

I’m sure that Safflower oil (can get in most larger supermarkets) is almost water like in colour bit more expensive than vegetable oil but effects would be great x

Haylie says

December 2, 2013 at 10:33 am

can you use a pop bottle so you can have a lid?

Amanda says

November 20, 2013 at 9:42 pm

Try it with neon food coloring, turn off the lights and then sit the bottle (we use water bottles) on top of a flashlight! Very cool effect. Don’t put the lid back on though until you are through bc it’ll stop your fizzy action. :). We also discovered that the less you shake it, the cooler it looks.

November 28, 2013 at 9:26 pm

Oh very cool. Definitely going on our to do list.

Jen smith says

November 12, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Coconut oil is clear. If you get the one that melts at a lower temp it should work great. I have a 70 or 75 degree one that never gets solid unless I put it in the fridge. :) this is a cute idea!

November 13, 2013 at 10:02 pm

Great tip Jen! Never thought of Coconut oil!

November 11, 2013 at 7:12 am

I have done this for years, but without the Alka Seltzer (very cool addition). This is great to do in empty water bottles, and you can glue the lid shut. My daughter loved this as a baby and still loves her “wave bottle” as a toddler. I can’t wait to do it again as a science project with the Alka Seltzer!

November 13, 2013 at 10:05 pm

Love the simplified version as a sensory bottle for toddlers Amy!

Inez19 says

May 14, 2013 at 1:19 am

Can I use small plastic soda bottles or the liter size ones?

May 14, 2013 at 6:45 am

Inez, I think either would work just fine, just change up the amounts accordingly.

Kaylee says

January 18, 2013 at 11:17 am

Great project! I had a question…does it really matter what material the bottles are? I’m planning on doing this with my preschool class, and I’m debating whether to stock up on glass bottles/containers, or if I can get away with plastic. Thanks!

January 18, 2013 at 12:39 pm

Oh, I think plastic would work just fine. As long as they’re clear. And taller, skinnier bottles work best!

October 18, 2012 at 10:30 am

This looks amazing! My daughter is constantly asking for more science projects and I think she will love this. :)

October 17, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Just did this with my kids. They loved it! Thanks!

blackpaws says

February 1, 2012 at 12:50 am

Thanks for this! Emily loved this experiment and like your Henry she kept looking from the top of the bottle to watch the reaction.

I used aspro clear and baby oil so not sure if that is why we had mostly little bubbles of lava but still fun to watch. Emily kept wanting to add more and to shake.

http://blackpaws.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/more-l-craft/

Oh, How Happy We Are says

January 22, 2012 at 10:11 pm

Charlotte: says

January 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm

Oh yeah, we need to do this! I have such a mental block when it comes to science-y things but I think this looks ace

January 22, 2012 at 1:51 pm

Wonderful idea! Can't wait to try this out with my little guy.

January 20, 2012 at 11:49 am

Great idea, I love the bright colours you made.

Science Sparks says

January 19, 2012 at 10:12 pm

Oh lava lamps are fab! it was one of our first experiments! Yours are so colourful. Brilliant!

Thanks for linking to science sparks fun sparks!

The Iowa Farmer's Wife says

January 19, 2012 at 2:42 pm

this is so neat! I'm buying alka selzer today! :) I have a huge bottle of vegetable oil I need to use up. Mineral oil is also clear, but I've only seen it in small bottles. I'm sure it comes larger though!

Jill @ A Mom With A Lesson Plan says

January 19, 2012 at 2:04 pm

One of my goals for this year is to get over my fear of science! This one would be awesome… and easy!

Jamie @ hands on : as we grow says

January 18, 2012 at 9:58 pm

@Rosie – as long as you have Alka Seltzer Tablets, you can keep adding to it! The vinegar/water will stay good for as long as you want!

January 18, 2012 at 9:52 pm

how long does it last? do you have to throw it away after ur done?

Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says

January 17, 2012 at 10:10 pm

Great post! I love that your ad above is advertising real lava lamps!

Raising a Happy Child says

January 17, 2012 at 8:40 pm

It was on my "to do" list for a long time! So pretty.

Chrissy @ The Outlaw Mom Blog says

January 17, 2012 at 5:38 pm

My kids will absolutely love this! Can't wait to try it!

Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

January 17, 2012 at 5:10 pm

gorgeous pics!! definitely on our to-do list!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says

January 17, 2012 at 1:23 pm

aww, thanks for mentioning us! What fabulous photos you got of the reactions!

Also I found that the cheaper ($$$) the oil the clearer it was. I got a cheapy, cheapy one and it was not as yellow and worked perfectly – just a tip to test for next time!

Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum says

January 17, 2012 at 1:15 pm

This looks a lot of fun will try it when J is a little bit older I think

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How To Make A Lava Lamp With Baking Soda?

Who doesn’t love a lava lamp? You know, that motionless blob of goo that sits in the bottom of the bottle and never moves, but has those mesmerizing blobs of color floating around it like some kind of psychedelic art project? It’s just so cool! Well, I tried to make one myself with baking soda – and it was actually really easy!

You can buy a lava lamp kit at most craft stores, but it’s just as easy (and much cheaper) to make your own. All you need is a few common household ingredients and a little bit of time.

What You’ll Need

Instructions, step 1: prepare the container, step 2: add the water and vegetable oil.

Fill your container halfway with water. Pour vegetable oil into the container until it is nearly full, leaving about an inch of space at the top. The layer of oil will float on top of the layer of water.

Step 3: Add Food Coloring

Add a few drops of food coloring to the container. The more food coloring you add, the brighter your lava lamp will be! Swirl the water and oil gently with a toothpick or spoon to mix in the color.

Step 4: Add Baking Soda

Use a funnel (optional) to slowly pour baking soda into the container. The baking soda should sink to the bottom, and then float back up through the layers of oil and water.

Step 5: Add More Food Coloring

Step 6: enjoy your diy lava lamp, tips and tricks.

For best results, use an LED light to see the most vibrant colors in your lava lamp.

For extra fun, try adding glitter or sequins to the water before adding baking soda! The glitter will react with the baking soda, giving your DIY lava lamp an even more magical effect.

If you enjoyed this project, check out some of our other DIY activities – like making bouncy balls or slime. Have fun!

Oil and baking soda do not mix because oil is hydrophobic and baking soda is hydrophilic. Hydrophobic substances repel water, while hydrophilic substances attract water. When you mix oil and baking soda together, the two substances stay separate because they are attracted to different things.

Q. Can I use a different type of oil instead of vegetable oil?

It usually takes a few minutes for the reaction to start taking place. Be sure to watch the lava lamp closely as it will begin bubbling and moving around in no time!

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DIY Lava Lamp With Baking Soda At Home

Diy lava lamp with baking soda.

Lava lamps are originally ornate and pretty lamps that don’t give out much light, but are great to look at and improve mood. The  lamp comprises a capsule of a distinctive colored wax mixture inside a glass vessel, the rest of which contains colorful translucent liquid.

Now we can make our very own DIY Lava lamps with items such as baking soda , vinegar, and oils from our kitchen pantry. No, you don’t need exotic or extra-special ingredients to make your own DIY lava lamp.

DIY lava lamps are exciting to watch, young children enjoy the bubbles. They also love to create different versions of their DIY lava lamp.

The lava lamp was created in 1948 by an English accountant named Edward Craven Walker. It took fifteen years to perfect the lava lamp. The lava lamp was not well known in the 70s, but after the Austin Powers’ movies, it experienced an explosion in popularity.

But it is now well known as a fascinating science experiment enjoyed by kids and relaxing for adults. DIY lava lamps have become an activity that is very stimulating for kids. You can see how their minds get busy thinking of the bubbles they are creating.

This experiment is easy to do, and kids from preschool up can succeed at making the lava lamp. Another most exciting thing about the DIY lava lamp is that no two lamps are the same. So every time kids make a lamp, the bubbles look unique.

It’s especially recommended for kids who are old enough to sit still and watch the mesmerizing reaction.

There are several ways to make the DIY lava lamp with Baking soda.

This lava lamp is made with the following ingredient

Ingredient list:

• 4 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 and a half cups of oil (vegetable or baby oil)
• 1/ 4 cups vinegar
• Food colouring
• Measuring cup
• Plastic cup
• 1 empty plastic bottle

Time: 15 minutes

How to make it:

• Add the 4 tablespoons of baking soda to the jar. It’ll settle to a layer at the bottom of the bottle.
• Pour the oil into the bottle. Do this carefully so it settles on top of the layer of baking soda already in the bottle.
• Pour the vinegar into a cup add 3 to 4 drops of food color
• Use the pipette to add drops of colored vinegar into the bottle. You’ll get a reaction. Continue to add more vinegar and watch the reaction and bubbles float in the bottle.

If you used distinct drops of colors, the colors will combine and still form a very vibrant colors.

Ingredients list:

• 4 tablespoons Baking soda
• 2 tablespoons citric acid
• 1 cup baby oil
• 1/4 cup water
• food colouring
• Add water to a jar
• Pour the oil into the mixture
• Add 3-4 drops of food colouring. By now the magic should have begun. The food colour dropping to mix with the oil.

4.Add the baking soda and citric acid mix to the jar and watch the coolest bubbles surface

• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• I/4 cup vinegar
• Food colour

1.Pour the baking soda to the bottom of the jar.

• Pour the oil
• Add the mixture of vinegar and food colour using a pipette and see the bubbles start to form. As the bubbles find their way from the oil into the water the reaction gets more beautiful.
• 1 tablespoon water
• Food coloring
• 3 tablespoons baking soda
• Pour the oil into a jar
• Then pour the vinegar into the oil in the jar
• Put 2 to 3 drops of food coloring into the mixture. Watch as the food colour drops go all the way to the bottom of the bottle to settle.
• Mix the baking soda and water into a thick paste.
• Add the baking soda paste to the jar and watch as the reaction. It is a fascinating and beautiful sight to behold; the bubbly reaction in the jar.

No two lava lamps are the same, for instance, you can;

Use tonic water instead of water

Use photoluminescent pigment instead of food coloring

THE  ALTERNATIVE ALKA SELZER INSTEAD OF BAKING SODA OPTION

• Baking soda
• 1 mason jar
• 1 teaspoon Alka Seltzer
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 cup oil (vegetable or baby oil)
• Add the water to the jar
• Pour the oil. by now the jar should be almost full to the tip
• Add 3-4 drops of food coloring. by now the magic should have begun. the food colour dropping to mix with the oil.
• Add the Alka Seltzer.
• By now the lava lamp will be bursting with bubbles. After a few minutes, the bubbly reaction will slow down. Add more Alka Selzer to continue to watch the fun.

Please note that the reaction can be stored for later use.

If you have had enough excitement for one day and what to close the lid, please wait till the reaction has completely stopped. this is so the bottle doesn’t rupture when a lid is placed on it prematurely.

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

The below ingredients can create a decorative DIY lava lamp

All these ingredient changes does not stop your lava lamp from bubbling.

 DIY LAVA LAMP AND SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT

There is a science behind all the exciting reactions the DIY Lava Lamp is about.

Let us examine some of the ingredients 1 after the other.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a chemical compound also known as a base. This base substance when combined with water, releases hydroxide ions. In the making of DIY lava lamps Baking soda is the base.

Vinegar is an acid that contains high levels of positive hydrogen ions. When making lava lamps vinegar is the acid.

A combination of base and acid creates the chemical reaction that happens when making DIY lava lamps.

What happens during a chemical reaction is simply chemical bonds being created or torn down.

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed the end reaction is carbon dioxide.

This carbon dioxide is the gas that bubbles up as soon as the vinegar comes in contact with the baking soda.

Diffusion is the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to that of lower concentration. .

Diffusion happens when the food coloring mixes with the water or vinegar in a resplendent swish.

Tonic water causes the Lava Lamp to glow because the quinine present in tonic water illuminates under black light. This gives a lava lamp its glow.

Polarity is the reason vinegar and oil don’t mix at all. The concept that describes how certain molecules repel or are attracted to other molecules is known as polarity.

Vinegar is an acid, and its molecules are attached. They are also polar molecules because the molecules are slightly charged. White vinegar, which is one ingredient used in making lava lamp typically comprises 4–7% acetic acid and 93–96% water. In some formulations, it is used interchangeably with water. In others, it is used alongside the water. Water is lighter than oil, hence it settles at the bottom of the bottle.

The oil contains non-polar molecules, and they are attracted to other non-polar molecules.

Non-polar molecules naturally repel polar molecules and vice versa.

So the vinegar droplets do not mix with the oil.

All this amazing science is why the Lava lamp is the mesmerising lamp we know. It is colourful and a joy to behold.

The DIY lava lamp is easy to make. The experiment is what you can take on without having to leave your house.

The items you may need to make one can all be found in your pantry.

You can use any clean recyclable plastic bottle or a mason jar. All the other measuring items are kitchen staples.

Lava Lamps are as easy to make as they are beautiful and relaxing to behold.

And a secret tip for parents. The lava lamp method of baking soda continues to activate long after the first bubbles rise to the top of the bottle or jar. This means while your young ones are busy with their DIY lava lamp science experiment you have free time for yourself.

The lava lamp is a fun and educative way to engage children. Try it out with your kids. We promise it’s fun!

See how to make pope costume at home

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How to Make a Lava Lamp

Lava lamps are a classic science activity that’s super cool. Explore the interactions between oil and water and learn how to make a lava lamp with simple kitchen ingredients.

What Is a Lava Lamp?

The original LAVA ® Lamp is made from colored wax suspended in a liquid. The base of the lamp is heated by a light bulb. As the colored wax heats up, it becomes less dense and rises. Once the wax reaches the top, it cools down and sinks.

The Science Behind the Lava Lamp Experiment

Instead of using heat and convection to see motion in our lava lamps, we are using chemistry. We are still using differences in density to see movement of the liquids.

Oil is less dense than water. Our lava lamps have an oil layer sitting on top of a water layer. We want our water to bubble up into the oil layer. To do this we are using an acid-base reaction to produce a gas (carbon dioxide).

The gas is less dense than the water and oil. The gas bubbles will rise into the oil layer and take some of the colored water with them. Once the gas rises all the way to the top of the oil, it will exit the oil layer leaving the colored water behind. The colored water is more dense than the oil, so it will sink to the bottom.

DIY Lava Lamp Experiment

How to make a lava lamp with alka-seltzer.

Your typical lava lamp experiment uses Alka-Seltzer because it requires the least amount of ingredients and is easy.

Materials Needed:

• clear container like a drinking glass, mason jar, peanut butter jar, juice container, or soda bottle
• water (about 1/2 cup)
• cooking oil, mineral oil, or baby oil (1-2 cups – enough to fill your container at least three quarters full
• Alka-Seltzer
• food coloring or liquid watercolors

Instructions:

Fill your clear container about three quarters full with oil.

Next fill the container with water. (You want at least a few inches of water.) The water will sink to the bottom of the container because it is more dense than the oil.

Add 5-10 drops of food coloring. The food coloring will also sink to the bottom.

Break up the Alka-Seltzer into small pieces. Drop one piece into the oil. It will sink into the water layer.

Once the Alka-Seltzer hits the water, it will dissolve. The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will react with the citric acid to form water, a salt, and carbon dioxide.

The carbon dioxide will carry some of the colored water up to the surface and you’ll see cool bubbles in the oil layer.

How to Make a Lava Lamp with Baking Soda and Citric Acid

We can replace the Alka-Seltzer with a combination of baking soda and citric acid to achieve the same result.

• 2 small containers/cups for mixing
• water (about 1 cup)
• vegetable oil, mineral oil, or baby oil (1-2 cups – enough to fill your container at least three quarters full
• baking soda
• citric acid (can also use powdered lemonade or Kool-Aid with citric acid)
• food coloring (skip if using a colorful Kool-Aid)

Add about a tablespoon of citric acid (or powdered lemonade or Kool-Aid) to 1/2 cup of water. Stir.

Add a few drops of food coloring to the water and citric acid (unless you used Kool-Aid).

Add the colored water and citric acid solution to your clear container.

Add oil to your container until it is about three quarters full.

Add a tablespoon of baking soda to another 1/2 cup of water. Stir.

Optional: add a few drops of food coloring to the baking soda and water solution.

Drop a spoonful of the baking soda and water solution onto the oil layer.

The baking soda and water solution will sink into the water layer.

The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will react with the citric acid in the colored water to form water, a salt, and carbon dioxide.

If you colored your baking soda and water solution, you will see color mixing as well.

How to Make a Lava Lamp with Baking Soda and Vinegar

We can use baking soda and vinegar to create the same reaction.

• food coloring

Next add vinegar to the container. (You want at least a few inches of vinegar.) The vinegar will sink to the bottom of the container because it is more dense than the oil.

Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a 1/2 cup of water. Stir.

The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will react with the vinegar to form water, a salt, and carbon dioxide.

More Science Experiments with Density Layers

Explore what happens when you mix oil and water .

Learn about mixtures and find out what makes a good emulsifier.

Try a saltwater density investigation .

Use fruit juice in our layering liquids density experiment .

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Enjoy our range of fun science experiments for kids that feature awesome hands-on projects and activities that help bring the exciting world of science to life. Make an Easy Lava Lamp Learn how to make an easy lava lamp with this fun science experiment for kids. Use simple household items such as vegetable oil, food coloring, Alka-Seltzer and a bottle to create chemical reactions and funky balls of color that move around like a real lava lamp.     If you've tried our you'll know that the two don't mix very well. The oil and water you added to the bottle separate from each other, with oil on top because it has a lower density than water. The food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water at the bottom. The piece of Alka-Seltzer tablet you drop in after releases small bubbles of carbon dioxide gas that rise to the top and take some of the colored water along for the ride. The gas escapes when it reaches the top and the colored water falls back down. The reason Alka-Seltzer fizzes in such a way is because it contains citric acid and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), the two react with water to form sodium citrate and carbon dioxide gas (those are the bubbles that carry the colored water to the top of the bottle). Adding more Alka-Seltzer to the bottle keeps the reaction going so you can enjoy your funky lava lamp for longer. If you want to show someone later you can simply screw on a bottle cap and add more Alka-Seltzer when you need to. When you've finished all your Alka-Seltzer, you can take the experiment a step further by tightly screwing on a bottle cap and tipping the bottle back and forth, what happens then?   Science Kids ©  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |  Updated: Oct 9, 2023 Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar FREE Experiments Kitchen Science Climate Change Egg Experiments Fairy Tale Science Edible Science Human Health Inspirational Women Forces and Motion Science Fair Projects STEM Challenges Science Sparks Books Contact Science Sparks Science Resources for Home and School 10 of the Best Colourful Science Experiments September 5, 2024 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment Colourful science experiments are often much more engaging for younger children than less colourful activities. Adding colour to a lava lamp, volcano or density demonstration makes the activity feel extra special. I’ve pulled together a list of my 10 favourite colourful science experiments for kids of all ages. 10 Colourful Science Experiments for kids Create a skittles rainbow. The infamous Skittles experiment will never let you down. It’s inexpensive, simple and looks fantastic. Children can turn it into an investigation by using different temperature water and arranging the Skittles in different ways. Rainbow in a hosepipe Create a rainbow on a sunny day day using just a hosepipe. All you need to do is stand with your back to the sun, spray the hosepipe and a rainbow will appear in the droplets! DIY Colour Mixing Wheel A colour mixing wheel is a fun way to learn about primary and secondary colours. Children can create their own or use my handy template. Another fun way to learn about colour mixing is to make colour mixing squishy bags . Colourful Jar Activity Creating firework type swirls of food colouring in a glass of water is a brilliant, very visual science activity for kids of all ages. Colourful Potions Baking soda and vinegar potions can be made colourful by adding food colouring or using red cabbage indicator . Red cabbage indicator is especially fun to use as it changes colour depending on whether you add an acid ( vinegar ) or alkali ( baking soda ). The addition of a little dish soap makes an extra foamy potion. Coloured Density Jar A multicoloured density jar can be made from water, salt and food colouring! The blue-coloured water contains salt, which makes it denser than the orange water, which does not contain salt. The denser liquid stays on the bottom and does not mix with the less dense liquid on the top. If the glasses were placed with the salt water on top, it would sink to the bottom and the colours would mix. Colourful Flowers White flowers can be made colourful by placing them in a vase of coloured water. The colourful water rises up the stem into the white petals, filling them with colour. This is a great science activity for demonstrating transpiration . Colourful Baking Soda Volcano A baking soda volcano is an ever popular science activity. We made this one extra special by using two colours for the lava! If you have snow this winter, snow volcanoes are easy to set up and almost mess-free. We made four different colour volcanoes a couple of years ago. Paper Chromatography with Felt Tip Pens Colourful paper chromatography is a simple science activity that can be done using paper towel if you don’t have filter paper. The different inks in the felt-tip pens move through the kitchen towel at different speeds, separating the colours. Black pens often contain the most different colour inks and are a great example of how this technique can be used as a method of separation. Colourful Salt Crystals Creating colourful salt crystals is a fun science activity for a hot day and a visual way to learn about evaporation. More colourful science experiments Set up a walking water experiment . This is a fantastic way to learn about capillary action and looks brilliant when it’s complete. Learn about surface tension with a magic milk display . Create a colourful slushy drink using the cooling power of ice and salt. Do you have a favourite colourful science activity? Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Emma Vanstone Safety Notice Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely. Reader Interactions Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * 211 COMMENTS How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp With Baking Soda Add oil. Pour in the vegetable oil carefully to avoid disturbing the layer of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and set aside. Color the vinegar. Pour vinegar into the plastic cup. Add 3-4 drops of food color and stir to combine. Add vinegar to lamp. Use the pipette to add 5-6 drops of colored vinegar to the plastic bottle. How to make a lava lamp with baking soda? Follow these simple steps to make your very own lava lamp with baking soda: 1. Fill the water bottle: Start by filling the empty water bottle around one-fourth to one-third full with water. 2. Add vegetable oil: Next, pour vegetable oil into the bottle, filling it the rest of the way. Leave some space at the top. How to Make a Lava Lamp With Baking Soda 10 Ways on How to Make a Lava Lamp. 1. Pour Baking Soda Into the Water. Pour baking soda into the water to give your lava lamp a chemical kick. As it bubbles up, it will cause an exciting reaction with the oil and create a whole new experience! You can also put glitter in your lava lamp to give it a little sparkle. 2. Homemade Lava Lamps: Chemistry in action! The Lava Lamp experiment is a classic vinegar-baking soda experiment. The difference this time is that the reaction takes place in the cooking oil, creating colorful beads bouncing around. As we add the colored vinegar to the container, it sinks to the bottom because vinegar is more dense than oil. Once it reaches the baking soda at the bottom ... Make an Alka-Seltzer Powered Lava Lamp While you are heating and cooling the jars, cut an Alka-Seltzer tablet into quarters. Only two quarter pieces are needed for the activity, but having additional pieces can be fun if you wanted to repeat lava lamp action. Image Credit: Teisha Rowland, Science Buddies / Science Buddies. Once one jar is hot and one is cold, get a timer or clock ... Make Your Own Lava Lamp: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Fun Science Experiment Start by filling the bottle 3/4 full with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Then, pour about 1/4 cup of oil into the bottle and watch it float on top. Drop a small piece of the Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle and observe the bubbles rising through the oil, creating a mesmerizing lava effect. Seal the bottle tightly and place it on ... Lava Lamp Science Experiment Without Alka Seltzer Start by adding 1 tbsp of baking soda to the glass. Then fill the glass about 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Next pour some vinegar into small cups and add food coloring to dye the vinegar your favorite color. Finally, use a dropper to add the colored vinegar to the oil. Add several droppers full of vinegar. Lava Lamp Experiment Put a few tablespoons of baking soda at the bottom of the jar. Add water until the jar is one-quarter full. Add 5-10 drops of food coloring and gently mix all ingredients in the jar to combine. Add vegetable oil until the jar is three-quarters full. With the jar on a flat surface, slowly add in vinegar one tablespoon at a time. How to make LAVA Lamp: Vinegar + Baking Soda Experiment ... This video shows you the procedure to create a lava lamp by using vinegar and soda. This is an amazing experiment with that component, Its a chemical reactio... How to Make a Lava Lamp The first option is to use baking soda and vinegar. Pour 1 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of of vinegar in your container. Drop the food colouring in. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of water and slowly pour it into the container. You can also make a lava lamp with salt. Fill your container 3/4 full of water, top it up with oil, and then ... PDF MAKE YOUR OWN LAVA LAMP and some of the baking soda falls onto the table. Carefully pour the baking soda into the container and remove the funnel. Step 5: Watch! The baking soda will make its way through the oil layer, hit the vinegar layer and start to react. You can see bubbles are forming and making their way to the top creating your very own lava lamp. How To Make A Lava Lamp Place 2 tablespoons of baking soda in the bottom of a mason jar. Pour oil into the jar. In a second container add vinegar and a few drops of food colouring, mix. Now, using a dropper, add a few drops of coloured vinegar to the top of the oil and watch the reaction! How to make a lava lamp with baking soda To find out more about this fun science experiment, check out this tutorial: https://curiousandgeeks.com/how-make-lava-lamp-without-alka-seltzer/Music: https... DIY Lava Lamp Chemical Reaction Science Experiment Instructions: Place the glass in the tray. Add the 1 cup of vegetable oil to the glass. Next, add the 1/4 cup of vinegar. Add 4 to 8 drop of food coloring. Mix well with the spoon. Now mix the baking soda and water in the small bowl. Pour the baking soda and water mixture into the glass. Observe what happens. Easy DIY Lava Lamp Science Experiment for Kids 4 Simple Steps to Science Fun & Fizzies. Fill the container with 2 parts oil, 1 part water, leaving some room at the top of the container for a little bit of bubbling. Drop in a few drops of food coloring. Add an Alka-Selzer Tablet, start with 1/4 or a half a tablet to begin with. Watch is fizz and bubble up to the top! Make a Lava Lamp with Baking Soda & Vinegar Join us in today's exciting science adventure as we create a DIY Lava Lamp! This fun and educational experiment is perfect for young scientists and curious m... How To Make A Lava Lamp With Baking Soda? Add water to the bottle until it's ⅔ full. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water and oil mixture and swirl it around to mix well. Add baking soda to the bottle (about 1 tablespoon per cup of liquid). Pour vinegar into the bottle (about 1 tablespoon per cup of liquid). Screw the lid on tightly and shake the lava lamp well to mix ... DIY Lava Lamp With Baking Soda At Home Time: 15 minutes. How to make it: Add the 4 tablespoons of baking soda to the jar. It'll settle to a layer at the bottom of the bottle. Pour the oil into the bottle. Do this carefully so it settles on top of the layer of baking soda already in the bottle. Pour the vinegar into a cup add 3 to 4 drops of food color. Lava Lamp Soda Directions. Using the funnel, pour 4 tablespoons of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into the bottle. Shake the bottle a bit to let the Baking Soda settle into a flat layer at the bottom. Pour in the vegetable oil slowly to avoid disturbing the layer of Baking Soda and set aside. You may need more or less depending on the size of the bottle. How to Make a Lava Lamp Add the colored water and citric acid solution to your clear container. Add oil to your container until it is about three quarters full. Add a tablespoon of baking soda to another 1/2 cup of water. Stir. Optional: add a few drops of food coloring to the baking soda and water solution. Baking Soda & Vinegar Lava Lamp Baking Soda & Vinegar Lava LampMade for parents and teachersScience Kits and morehttps://elementarysciencen.wixsite.com/sciencekitsKids Fun Science Online St... Make an Easy Lava Lamp Pour in vegetable oil until the bottle is nearly full. Wait until the oil and water have separated. Add around a dozen drops of food coloring to the bottle (choose any color you like). Watch as the food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water. Cut an Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (around 5 or 6) and drop one of them ... 10 of the Best Colourful Science Experiments Colourful Baking Soda Volcano. A baking soda volcano is an ever popular science activity. We made this one extra special by using two colours for the lava! If you have snow this winter, snow volcanoes are easy to set up and almost mess-free. We made four different colour volcanoes a couple of years ago. Paper Chromatography with Felt Tip Pens LAVA LAMP EXPERIMENT with baking soda and vinegar! In this video, Keila will make a science experiment for kids- she will test if it's possible to make a lava lamp with baking soda and vinegar. For this lava ... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis