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Tsaparis Tscience - DIY Lava Lamp

Tsaparis Tscience
Posted at 10:25 AM, Oct 22, 2014
and last updated 2015-02-04 12:06:52-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Making a lava lamp is a cool, cheap project that is fun for kids and parents, and you may just learn something in the process.

The ingredients you'll need for this experiment are water, a measuring cup, Alka Seltzer, an empty 2 liter bottle, food coloring, a funnel, and canola oil.

First, take 3/4s cup of regular tap water and pour it in the 2 liter bottle. Next, take the full bottle of canola oil, open it, and pour it into the 2 litre bottle. The water settles below the oil because water is denser than oil.

The next step is taking normal food coloring, any color except yellow so you can see it in the oil, and put several drops in the container. The food coloring will pool in between the oil and water but eventually will break through to join the water since it is just a mixture of water and dye.

Take your Alka Setlzer, drop it in and see what happens.

Alka Seltzer contains citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda. When mixed with water, it fizzes and stirs up the concoction making it look like a lava lamp!

For more fun Tscience projects, tune into Tsaparis Tscience every Wednesday morning on WTXL's Sunrise.