Gifted and Talented Unit Topic: Chemical and Physical Changes Objectives: Grade Level Content Connections:
SWBAT use the scientific method to explore various chemical changes and reactions. SWBAT use the scientific method to explore physical changes. SWBAT explain the difference between a chemical reaction and a physical change. 3rd: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. 4th: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
5th: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances. 6th‐8th: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
Standards: 3‐5‐ETS1‐2, 3‐5‐ETS1‐3, 5‐PS1‐4, MS‐PS1‐2
Introduction Teaching Strategy
Student Activity Resources
What is the scientific method? Watch video as a whole group. Review the scientific method worksheet. Teacher models 1 experiment while showing students each step of the scientific method. Complete the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment. Students watch the video and answer teacher posed questions. Students review the scientific method with the teacher. Students observe experiment while filling in the scientific method worksheet. Students try out the experiment with teacher guidance. Worksheet: (Attached) http://musingsofaprimaryteacher.blogspot
.com/2012/06/using‐scientific‐method‐in‐
kindergarten.html Experiments List, includes materials for each experiment (Attached) Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig7GNi
pg0mI Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 rd
th
3 ‐4 Grade http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ba0R
R2KgW0 What is a physical change? As a class, Students watch the video and collaborate Scientific Method Worksheet watch a video about physical to create a working definition of a physical Experiments List, including materials for changes. Brainstorm and create a change. While teacher is completing the the experiment (Attached) working definition of a physical experiment, students will fill in their own Mysterious M&M’s Worksheet change. To show students a physical worksheet and will help the teacher fill in (Attached) change, start with a piece of paper. the class worksheet. Have students (with Videos: Simply fold, tear, crumple, bend, etc. teacher guidance) complete the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Y45
the paper. This is a physical change. experiment. 2eiHC8 Complete the Mysterious M&M’s experiment attached, following the Paper scientific method and fill in the worksheet as a class. Teacher Resource Video: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/
teaching‐physical‐and‐chemical‐changes Students watch the video and participate Scientific Method Worksheet What is a chemical change? Watch video as a class; create a working in class discussion by helping to create a Experiments List, including materials for definition of a chemical change as a working definition of a chemical change. the experiment (Attached) Students observe the experiment while class. Videos: http://www.chem4kids.com/files/re filling in their scientific method worksheet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7Z9F
act_intro.html is a great resource to and helping the teacher fill in the class VF07qw simplify chemical changes and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66kuh
worksheet. Have students (with teacher reactions. Complete the Steel Wool guidance) complete the experiment. JkQCVM and Vinegar Teacher Resource Video: Experiment, following the scientific http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCbqjs
method and fill in the worksheet as a class. ‐pqJo As a whole group with teacher Students will follow teacher directions to Scientific Method Worksheet (Attached) guidance, students will complete 2 complete the experiments. Experiments more experiments (1 physical, 1 can be done on an individual level or on a Experiments List (Attached) chemical). DO NOT explain the type group level; teacher’s choice. While completing experiments, students/groups Experiment Directions (Attached) of experiment you are completing. The goal is that the students will be should be filling out the scientific method Activity 3 5th‐8th Grade Closure 3rd‐4th Grade Closure 5th‐8th Grade able to decipher between a physical change and a chemical change based on the experiments. As you are going through the experiment, the whole class will fill in a scientific method worksheet for each experiment. Complete the Expanding Toothpaste (chemical) and the Mini Lava Lamp (physical) experiments. Break students into small groups. Allow them to choose 2 experiments to complete, 1 from column A (physical change), 1 from column B (chemical change). Try not to have repeat experiments, if possible. Explain that students will complete 2 experiments using the scientific method and then they will be asked to present their findings. Give them experiment directions. They must determine which experiment is a physical change and which is a chemical change. Teacher led class discussion about the differences between chemical and physical changes. worksheet. Class may then vote on which was the physical change and which was the chemical change. Teacher led class discussion about the differences between chemical and physical changes. Students Participate in the teacher‐led Scientific Method Worksheets from discussion using experiment worksheets as previous experiments. notes. Students will break into small groups and will choose 2 experiments: 1 from Column A, 1 from Column B. Students will complete the experiments independently while filling in 1 scientific method worksheet per group per experiment. Students must then decide as a group which is the physical change and which is the chemical change. Scientific Method Worksheet (Attached) Experiments List (Attached) Experiment Directions (Attached) Students Participate in the teacher‐led Scientific Method Worksheets from discussion using experiment worksheets as previous experiments. notes. Activities List for Teacher Run Activities 
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html  **Other activities are located on this website. Use as needed. o Lava Lamp  Water, Plastic Bottles, Vegetable Oil, Food Coloring, Funnel, Alka‐Seltzer Tablets o Steel Wool and Vinegar  Steel Wool, Vinegar, beaker, paper/lid, thermometer o Diet Coke and Mentos  2 lt Diet Coke, ½ pack of mentos, funnel or geyser tube (optional) o Mini Lava Lamps  http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavacup.php  Smaller version of a lava lamp  Clear Drinking glass, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, water, food coloring (optional) o Expanding Toothpaste  http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2012/01/science‐experiment‐elephant‐toothpaste.html  Soda Bottle, Pan, 2 TBS warm water, 1 tsp yeast, 6% hydrogen peroxide, food coloring, dish soap o Mysterious M&M’s  http://www.inquiryinaction.org/classroomactivities/activity.php?id=2  Clear glasses, M&M’s, Water, M&M’s Worksheet Activities Directions for Teacher Run Activities 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.
What you'll need:





Water
A clear plastic bottle
Vegetable oil
Food coloring
Alka-Seltzer (or other tablets that fizz)
Instructions:
1. Pour water into the plastic bottle until it is around one quarter full (you might want to use a funnel when filling the bottle so you
don't spill anything).
2. Pour in vegetable oil until the bottle is nearly full.
3. Wait until the oil and water have separated.
4. Add around a dozen drops of food coloring to the bottle (choose any color you like).
5. Watch as the food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water.
6. Cut an Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (around 5 or 6) and drop one of them into the bottle, things should start getting a
little crazy, just like a real lava lamp!
7. When the bubbling stops, add another piece of Alka-Seltzer and enjoy the show!
What's happening?
If you've tried our oil and water experiment 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?
Steel Wool & Vinegar Reaction
What you'll need:





Steel Wool
Vinegar
Two beakers
Paper or a lid (something to cover the beaker to keep the heat in)
Thermometer
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Place the steel wool in a beaker.
Pour vinegar on to the steel wool and allow it to soak in the vinegar for around one minute.
Remove the steel wool and drain any excess vinegar.
Wrap the steel wool around the base of the thermometer and place them both in the second beaker.
Cover the beaker with paper or a lid to keep the heat in (make sure you can still read the temperature on the thermometer,
having a small hole in the paper or lid for the thermometer to go through is a good idea).
6. Check the initial temperature and then monitor it for around five minutes.
What's happening?
The temperature inside the beaker should gradually rise, you might even notice the beaker getting foggy. When you soak the steel
wool in vinegar it removes the protective coating of the steel wool and allows the iron in the steel to rust. Rusting (or oxidation) is a
chemical reaction between iron and oxygen, this chemical reaction creates heat energy which increases the temperature inside the
beaker. This experiment is an example of an exothermic reaction, a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat.
Diet Coke & Mentos Eruption
One of the most popular experiments of modern times is the Diet Coke and Mentos Geyser. Made popular by Steve
Spangler, this experiment is a lot of fun and sure to amaze your friends and family (assuming you do it outside rather than in
the living room).
What you'll need:
Large bottle of Diet Coke
About half a pack of Mentos
Geyser tube (optional but makes things much easier)
Instructions:
1. Make sure you are doing this experiment in a place where you won't get in trouble for getting Diet Coke everywhere. Outside on
some grass is perfect, please don't try this one in your family lounge!!
2. Stand the Diet Coke upright and unscrew the lid. Put some sort of funnel or tube on top of it so you can drop the Mentos in at
the same time (about half the pack is a good amount). Doing this part can be tricky if you don't have a specially designed geyser
tube, I recommend buying one from a local store such as Natures Discoveries (NZ) or online.
3. Time for the fun part, drop the Mentos into the Diet Coke and run like mad! If you've done it properly a huge geyser of Diet Coke
should come flying out of the bottle, it's a very impressive sight. The record is about 9 metres (29 feet) high!
What's happening?
Although there are a few different theories around about how this experiment works, the most favoured reason is because of the
combination of carbon dioxide in the Diet Coke and the little dimples found on Mentos candy pieces.
The thing that makes soda drinks bubbly is the carbon dioxide that is pumped in when they bottle the drink at the factory. It doesn't get
released from the liquid until you pour it into a glass and drink it, some also gets released when you open the lid (more if you shake it
up beforehand). This means that there is a whole lot of carbon dioxide gas just waiting to escape the liquid in the form of bubbles.
Dropping something into the Diet Coke speeds up this process by both breaking the surface tension of the liquid and also allowing
bubbles to form on the surface area of the Mentos. Mentos candy pieces are covered in tiny dimples (a bit like a golf ball), which
dramatically increases the surface area and allows a huge amount of bubbles to form.
The experiment works better with Diet Coke than other sodas due to its slightly different ingredients and the fact that it isn't so sticky. I
also found that Diet Coke that had been bottled more recently worked better than older bottles that might have lost some of their fizz
sitting on shop shelves for too long, just check the bottle for the date.
Science Experiment: Expanding Toothpaste
This exciting science experiment works great in a discussion on reactions, as a demonstration, or as an actual
experiment. To use it as an experiment, perform it once with your child, then ask your child what might happen if you
changed the amounts or left out an ingredient. Let her direct the experiment! Also, the foam created is safe to touch. It
is simply water, oxygen gas, and soap, so if your child has no soap allergies, she can experience and experiment with
the texture of the foam!
How to make Elephant Toothpaste:
1. Set a soda pop bottle in the middle of a pan to catch the toothpaste.
2. Mix these in a separate container and swirl together for a minute.
The yeast will catalyze (or speed up) the reaction. Woo hoo!
** 2 Tablespoons warm water
** 1 teaspoon yeast
3. Mix these in your soda pop bottle:
** 1/2 cup 6% hydrogen peroxide. It is important to use at least 6%. You can use 8% or more (available on
Amazon), or you can Salon Care Professional Stabilized Formula. 20 Volume Clear Developer from Sally Beauty
Supply works fine too. 3% from the grocery store will NOT work as well. :)
** 4-5 drops food coloring
** squirt of dish soap
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the soda pop bottle...and be amazed!
If you're working with older kids, you may be interested in how it works:
The reaction is summarized by this formula: 2 H2O2 --> 2 H2O + 02.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) naturally breaks down into water and oxygen. It is stored in opaque containers to help slow
down this process. Catalase (an enzyme in all living things, including yeast) speeds up the reaction. Dish soap catches
the oxygen and makes bigger bubbles and the food coloring makes it look cool. The foam and bottle feel warm
because the reaction is exothermic--it releases energy as heat.
Mysterious M&M’s Experiment What you’ll Need: 1 M&M 1 White plastic or foam dessert plate Room‐temperature water Crayons or colored pencils Bucket or large bowl Paper towels 1. Instructions:
Have students read the introductory story on Activity sheet 1.1 and describe the properties of an M&M. Distribute an M&M to each student or group of students along with Activity sheet 1.1. As students begin to explore the characteristics of an M&M, listen to the conversations that student groups are having. Students should identify properties such as the following: Size, shape, color, and texture o Different colored layers on the inside Explain to students that their descriptions of M&M’s are all properties of M&M’s. In the story on the Student Activity sheet, the student noticed that the color came off of an M&M when it fell in the water. Ask students if they ever had their M&M’s get wet and start to lose their color. Tell students that in the Try this activity, they will see what happens to the sugar and color coating of an M&M when it is placed in a plate of water. o
2. Have students place an M&M in a dish of water and observe. Giving students an opportunity to observe an M&M in water will give them the context and motivation to want to find out more about how M&M colors look when they dissolve in water. From this experience, you can get them to ask questions that they can investigate. Students will conduct the following procedure and record their observations. Procedure 1. Pour enough room‐temperature water into a white plastic or foam plate so that the water is deep enough to completely cover an M&M. 2. Once the water has settled, place 1 M&M in the center of the plate. Be careful to keep the water and M&M as still as possible. Observe for about 1 minute. Have students compare their results. Ask students what they notice about the movement of the color from their M&M. Expected results: Each colored coating of M&M will dissolve in a circular pattern around the M&M. Students may also mention the white streaks in the water from the sugar coating. If anyone notices differences such as “the color moved over to one side more than the other,” check to see that the plate is level. Point out to students that because the water makes the colored coating come off the M&M and mix into the water, the water is dissolving the sugar and color. Because the colored coating on M&M’s dissolves in a similar pattern each time one is placed in water, this is a characteristic property of the M&M coating. Empty the plate of water and M&M into a bucket, bowl, or sink. Dry the plate with a paper towel.
Column A
Lava Lamp Ice Cube Magic Ice Overflow Soak the Penny Dissolving Sugar Column B
Crazy Putty Dry Ice Bubble CO2 Balloons Lunch Bag Pop Expanding Toothpaste Column A Activity
Directions
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.
What you'll need:





Water
A clear plastic bottle
Vegetable oil
Food coloring
Alka-Seltzer (or other tablets that fizz)
Instructions:
8. Pour water into the plastic bottle until it is around one quarter full (you might want to use a funnel when filling the bottle so you
don't spill anything).
9. Pour in vegetable oil until the bottle is nearly full.
10. Wait until the oil and water have separated.
11. Add around a dozen drops of food coloring to the bottle (choose any color you like).
12. Watch as the food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water.
13. Cut an Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (around 5 or 6) and drop one of them into the bottle, things should start getting a
little crazy, just like a real lava lamp!
14. When the bubbling stops, add another piece of Alka-Seltzer and enjoy the show!
What's happening?
If you've tried our oil and water experiment 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?
Cut Ice Cubes in Half Like Magic
Speed up the melting process of ice with the help of a little pressure. Cut a piece of ice in half like magic while learning how the process
relates to ice skating.
What you'll need:




One ice cube
A piece of fishing line with a weight (the heavier the better) tied to each end
A container
Some kind of tray to keep things from getting wet
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Turn the container upside down and put it on the tray.
Place the ice cube on top of the upside down container.
Rest the fishing line over the ice cube so that the weights are left dangling over the side of the container.
Watch it for around 5 minutes.
What's happening?
The pressure from the two weights pulls the string through the ice cube by melting the ice directly under the fishing line. This is similar
to ice skating where the blades of a skater melt the ice directly underneath, allowing the skater to move smoothly on a thin layer of
water.
Will the Ice Melt and Overflow?
At first thought you might think that an ice cube sitting at the very top of a glass would eventually melt and spill over the sides but is
this what really happens? Experiment and find out!
What you'll need:



A clear glass
Warm water
An ice cube
Instructions:
1. Fill the glass to the top with warm water.
2. Gently lower in the ice cube, making sure you don’t bump the table or spill any water over the edge of the glass.
3. Watch the water level carefully as the ice cube melts, what happens?
What's happening?
Even though the ice cube melted the water doesn’t overflow. When water freezes to make ice it expands and takes up more space
than it does as liquid water (that’s why water pipes sometimes burst during cold winters). The water from the ice takes up less
space than the ice itself. When the ice cube melts, the level of the water stays about the same.
Dissolving Sugar at Different Heats
Learn about solutions as you add more and more sugar cubes to different temperature water. This easy
experiment shows that you can only dissolve a certain amount and that this changes as the water gets hotter.
What you'll need:




Sugar cubes
Cold water in a clear glass
Hot water in a clear glass (be careful with the hot water)
Spoon for stirring
Instructions:
1. Make sure the glasses have an equal amount of water.
2. Put a sugar cube into the cold water and stir with the spoon until the sugar disappears. Repeat this
process (remembering to count the amount of sugar cubes you put into the water) until the sugar stops
dissolving, you are at this point when sugar starts to gather on the bottom of the glass rather than
dissolving.
3. Write down how many sugar cubes you could dissolve in the cold water.
4. Repeat the same process for the hot water, compare the number of sugar cubes dissolved in each
liquid, which dissolved more?
What's happening?
The cold water isn't able to dissolve as much sugar as the hot water, but why? Another name for the liquids
inside the cups is a 'solution', when this solution can no longer dissolve sugar it becomes a 'saturated
solution', this means that sugar starts forming on the bottom of the cup.
The reason the hot water dissolves more is because it has faster moving molecules which are spread further
apart than the molecules in the cold water. With bigger gaps between the molecules in the hot water, more
sugar molecules can fit in between.
Column B Activity
Directions
Crazy Putty
Using some everyday household items such as borax, water, PVA glue and food coloring, make some crazy putty that you can
What you'll need:





2 containers (1 smaller than the other, preferably a film canister)
Water
Food colouring
PVA glue (a type of white glue also known as Elmer's glue)
Borax solution (ratio of about 1 Tbsp of borax to a cup of water)
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fill the bottom of the larger container with PVA glue.
Add a few squirts of water and stir.
Add 2 or 3 drops of food colouring and stir.
Add a squirt of borax (possibly a bit more depending on how much PVA glue you used).
Stir the mixture up and put it into the smaller container. By now the mixture should be joining together, acting like putty,
crazy putty!
What's happening?
The PVA glue you use is a type of polymer called polyvinyl acetate (PVA for short), while the borax is made of a chemical called
sodium borate. When you combine the two in a water solution, the borax reacts with the glue molecules, joining them together into
one giant molecule. This new compound is able to absorb large amounts of water, producing a putty like substance which you can
squish in your hands or even bounce.
squish in your hands, mould into shapes or even bounce on the ground.
Make a Big Dry Ice Bubble
Have fun making a dry ice bubble that will grow and grow as it fills with fog. This experiment is a great one for adults to do with kids. Add
water to the dry ice, cover it with a layer of soapy water and watch your bubble grow, how big will it get before it bursts? Give it a try and find
out!
What you'll need:





Water
A large bowl with a lip around the top (a smaller bowl or cup will work too)
A strip of material or cloth
Soapy mixture for making bubbles (water and some dishwashing liquid should do the trick)
Dry ice - one piece for a cup, more for a bowl. Places where adults can buy dry ice include large grocery stores and Walmart.
Butchers and ice cream stores might have some too.
Safety first! Be careful with dry ice as it can cause skin damage if not used safely. Adults should handle dry ice with gloves and avoid
directly breathing in the vapor.
Instructions:
1. Place your dry ice in the bowl and add some water (it should start looking like a spooky cauldron).
2. Soak the material in your soapy mixture and run it around the lip of the bowl before dragging it across the top of the bowl to form
a bubble layer over the dry ice.
3. Stand back and watch your bubble grow!
What's happening?
Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form. At temperatures above -56.4 °C (-69.5 °F), dry ice changes directly from a solid to a
gas, without ever being a liquid. This process is called sublimation. When dry ice is put in water it accelerates the sublimation process,
creating clouds of fog that fill up your dry ice bubble until the pressure becomes too much and the bubble explodes, spilling fog over the
edge of the bowl. Dry ice is sometimes used as part of theater productions and performances to create a dense foggy effect. It is also
used to preserve food, freeze lab samples and even to make ice cream!
Blowing Up Balloons With CO2
Chemical reactions make for some great experiments. Make use of the carbon dioxide given off by a baking soda and lemon juice
reaction by funneling the gas through a soft drink bottle and in to your awaiting balloon.
What you'll need:






Balloon
About 40 ml of water (a cup is about 250 ml so you don't need much)
Soft drink bottle
Drinking straw
Juice from a lemon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Before you begin, make sure that you stretch out the balloon to make it as easy as possible to inflate.
Pour the 40 ml of water into the soft drink bottle.
Add the teaspoon of baking soda and stir it around with the straw until it has dissolved.
Pour the lemon juice in and quickly put the stretched balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
What's happening?
If all goes well then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction. The baking
soda is a base, while the lemon juice is an acid, when the two combine they create carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas rises up and
escapes through the soft drink bottle, it doesn't however escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up. If you don't have
any lemons then you can substitute the lemon juice for vinegar.
www.sciencebob.com

One small (sandwich size) zip-lock bag - freezer bags work best.

Baking soda

Warm water

Vinegar

Measuring cup

A tissue
1. Go outside - or at least do this in the kitchen sink.
2. Put 1/4 cup of pretty warm water into the bag.
3. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water in the bag.
3. Put 3 teaspoons of baking soda into the middle of the tissue
4. Wrap the the baking soda up in the tissue by folding the tissue around it.
5. You will have to work fast now - partially zip the bag closed but leave enough space to add the baking
soda packet. Put the tissue with the baking soda into the bag and quickly zip the bagcompletely closed.
6. Put the bag in the sink or down on the ground (outside) and step back. The bag will start to expand, and
expand, and if all goes well...POP!
Cool huh? Nothing like a little chemistry to to add fun to a boring afternoon. What happens inside the bag is
actually pretty interesting - the baking soda and the vinegar eventually mix (the tissue buys you some time to zip
the bag shut) When they do mix, you create an ACID-BASE reaction and the two chemicals work together to create
a gas, (carbon dioxide - the stuff we breathe out) well it turns out gasses need a lot of room and the carbon
dioxide starts to fill the bag, and keeps filling the bag until the bag can no longer hold it any more and, POP! Be
sure to clean up well and recycle those plastic bags...have fun!
The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:
1. Will different temperature water affect how fast the bag inflates?
2. What amount of baking soda creates the best reaction?
3. Which size bag creates the fastest pop?
Science Experiment: Elephant Toothpaste
This exciting science experiment works great in a discussion on reactions, as a demonstration, or as an actual
experiment. To use it as an experiment, perform it once with your child, then ask your child what might happen if you
changed the amounts or left out an ingredient. Let her direct the experiment! Also, the foam created is safe to touch. It
is simply water, oxygen gas, and soap, so if your child has no soap allergies, she can experience and experiment with
the texture of the foam!
How to make Elephant Toothpaste:
1. Set a soda pop bottle in the middle of a pan to catch the toothpaste.
2. Mix these in a separate container and swirl together for a minute.
The yeast will catalyze (or speed up) the
reaction. Woo hoo!
** 2 Tablespoons warm water
** 1 teaspoon yeast
3. Mix these in your soda pop bottle:
** 1/2 cup 6% hydrogen peroxide. It is important to use at least 6%. You can use 8% or more (available on
Amazon), or you can Salon Care Professional Stabilized Formula. 20 Volume Clear Developer from Sally Beauty
Supply works fine too. 3% from the grocery store will NOT work as well. :)
** 4-5 drops food coloring
** squirt of dish soap
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the soda pop bottle...and be amazed!
If you're working with older kids, you may be interested in how it works:
The reaction is summarized by this formula: 2 H2O2 --> 2 H2O + 02.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) naturally breaks down into water and oxygen. It is stored in opaque containers to help slow
down this process. Catalase (an enzyme in all living things, including yeast) speeds up the reaction. Dish soap catches
the oxygen and makes bigger bubbles and the food coloring makes it look cool. The foam and bottle feel warm
because the reaction is exothermic--it releases energy as heat.