Glowing Lava Lamp
We take the traditional density lava lamp science experiment to the next level in this demonstration by adding a liquid that glows in UV light.
Materials:
- Clear plastic bottle with straight sides
- Glow liquid
- Water
- Baby oil
- Alka-Seltzer tablet
- UV light
Instructions:
- Pour some water into the clear plastic bottle until the bottle is about 1/4 full.
- Add several drops of glow liquid.
- Gently swirl the bottle to mix the glow liquid and water.
- Tilt the bottle and gently add baby oil until the bottle is about 90% full. Try not to mix the baby oil with the water.
- Drop one half an Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle and enjoy.
- Turn off the lights and shine the UV light on your Glowing Lava Lamp.
- Repeat an many times as you like.
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How it Works:
The oil floats on top of the water and glow liquid because it is less dense. When the Alka-Seltzer tablet is dropped into the bottle, it sinks to the bottom and begins to dissolve. As it dissolves, it releases carbon dioxide gas which rises to the top carrying globs of water and glow liquid with it. Once the carbon dioxide escapes the bottle, the heavier water and glow liquid sinks back down through the baby oil to the bottom of the bottle.
Make This A Science Project:
Experiment with different types of oils such as vegetable oil. Try using other methods to create bubbles. Try different paints and food colorings that are heavier than oil.
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