A clean plastic bottle try to use one with smooth sides water vegetable oil or you could use mineral or baby oil instead fizzing tablets such as alka seltzer food coloring watch scientist joe as he makes the lava lamp experiment here.
Lava lamp science fair projects.
As the reaction slows down simply add more alka seltzer.
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.
This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project.
Watch your lava lamp erupt into activity.
Your kids will love exploring colored water and oil but a surprise ingredient will make this science activity even more exciting.
Density is the measurement of how compact a substance is how much of it fits in a certain amount of space.
So grab a few household supplies and give this lava lamp science activity a try.
A lava lamp works because of two different scientific principles density and polarity.
It s always a hit with the kids.
To view written instructions for this project see the make an alka seltzer powered lava lamp page at science buddies.
Fill the bottle up about 1 4th 1 quarter with water.
Carefully rest the bottle of oil and water directly on the lens of the flashlight and repeat the experiment above with the bright light shining up and through the liquid.
You may want to.
This lava lamp experiment is super cool.
To find a science fair project that is just right for you browse our library of over 1 200 science fair project ideas or use the topic selection wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.
To make a cool looking lava lamp you ll need a large flashlight like the one in the photograph.
Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables taking accurate measurements and analyzing data.
Make an easy lava lamp.
You can also make a handy mini lava lamp if you are really pressed for time or want to keep it portable.