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Elephant's Toothpaste
Materials: ★★☆ Available in most school laboratories or specialist stores
Difficulty: ★★☆ Can be done by science teachers
Safety: ★★☆ Some safety precautions required to perform safely
Categories: Catalysts, Chemical Reactions, Reaction Rate
Alternative titles: Peroxide Whoosh
Summary
30% Hydrogen peroxide is added to a Potassium Iodide catalyst, detergent and food colouring, and Oxygen bubbles rapidly produce a foam.
Procedure
A small teaspoon of solid Potassium Iodide, a squirt of detergent, and a few drops of food colouring are put into a measuring cylinder of any size placed into a tray. 30% Hydrogen Peroxide is added, and coloured foam is formed rapidly, spurting out of the top.
📄 With 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and yeast catalyst: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/elephant-toothpaste
📄 With 30% Hydrogen Peroxide and Potassium Iodide catalyst: https://www.thoughtco.com/elephant-toothpaste-chemistry-demonstration-604250
🎞️ A very large example in a swimming pool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kou7ur5xt_4
Variations
- Using 3 or 6% Hydrogen Peroxide will make the foam form much slower, but it will still overflow the measuring cylinder
- Using a conical flask instead of measuring cylinder can make the foam shoot higher, and it can reach the roof.
Video:
Precautions
[Precautions here]
Links
[Links here]
Questions to consider
[Questions to consider here]
Further Investigation
[Things to consider for further investigation here