Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano
Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required
Categories: Chemical Reactions, Rocks
Alternative titles: Erupting Volcano Model
Summary
A cone-shaped volcano model is built around a bottle. A mixture of bicarbonate of soda, water, and washing-up liquid is placed inside, and vinegar with food coloring is added to create a foamy eruption that resembles lava flow.
Procedure
Cut and shape a piece of card into a cone that can fit over a plastic bottle, leaving the neck of the bottle exposed.
Secure the cone to a flat base and decorate it with paint to resemble a volcano. Allow it to dry.
Mix bicarbonate of soda, washing-up liquid, and water in a small bowl, then pour this mixture into the bottle inside the volcano.
In a separate cup, mix vinegar with food coloring.
When ready, pour the vinegar mixture into the volcano’s bottle and stand back to observe the eruption.
Try adjusting the amounts of bicarbonate or vinegar to see how the eruption changes.
Links
Variations
Use different food coloring to create different lava effects.
Try adding glitter or sand to simulate ash or pyroclastic material.
Build larger or differently shaped volcanoes to compare eruption flow.
Safety Precautions
Work on a wipe-clean or washable surface for easy cleanup.
Stand back during the eruption to avoid splashes getting in the eyes.
Ensure good ventilation when mixing ingredients.
Handle scissors carefully when cutting card.
Questions to Consider
What causes the fizzing and foaming in the volcano eruption? (The acid in vinegar reacts with the base bicarbonate of soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas which creates bubbles.)
How does adding more bicarbonate or more vinegar affect the eruption? (It changes the volume, speed, and duration of the foamy reaction.)
In what ways does this model represent a real volcanic eruption, and in what ways is it different? (It mimics flowing lava and pressure release, but real volcanoes involve molten rock, gases, and tectonic processes.)