NAME: Trisha Joanne S.

Galang DATE: November 16, 2021

Lava Lamp Experiment

Introduction

Oil and water do not mix because they cannot form any chemical bonds with each other.
Water is made up of highly charged, hydrophilic compounds (or "water loving") while oil is
made up of long chains of carbon that are hydrophobic ("scared of water"). The long chains of
carbon that make up oils do not carry a charge and are not attracted to the water molecules.
This causes the separation we see in this experiment as well as in our kitchen sinks and
oceanic oil spills. Furthermore, the oil will float on top of the water because it is less dense
than oil.

Equipment and Chemicals

 Baking soda
 Food colouring
 Cooking oil
 Vinegar
 A tall glass, jar or bottle

Procedure

1. Put 2 or 3 heaped tablespoons of baking powder (bicarbonate of soda) into a tall jar.
Let it settle into a flat layer at the bottom of the bottle.
2. Fill the bottle with a baking soda ¾ full with vegetable oil. Pour carefully and try not to
disturb the layer of baking soda at the bottom.
3. Pour 1 cup of vinegar into a separate cup/glass. Add 3 to 4 drops of food color.
4. Slowly pour in about a tablespoon of vinegar with food coloring into the vegetable oil.
See what happens.
5. You can continue to add more vinegar into the bottle until the bubble stops floating to
the surface.
Conclusions

 Why don’t water and oil mix? (10pts)

Water and oil don’t mix because their molecules are not able to bond. Water has
polar molecules it means that the molecule has a positive charge on one end and a
negative charge on the other. That is why water molecules are able to join together.
While, oil has non-polar molecules. The water molecules are attracted to one
another, while the oil molecules cling to one another. As a result, oil and water split
into two layers. Because water molecules are closer together, they sink to the
bottom, leaving oil floating on top.

 Why does surface area affect the rate of reaction? (10pts)

More particles are exposed to the other reactant when the surface area of one
reactant is increased. Particles have a higher possibility of colliding, resulting in more
successful collisions each second.

 Why is water denser than oil? (10pts)

Water molecules are made up of linked oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Due to the fact
that oxygen is heavier and smaller than carbon, a volume of water molecules is
heavier than a volume of oil molecules. As a result, water has a higher density than
oil.

Clean up and Waste Disposal

DO NOT wash the waste cooking oil down the sink as it will cause blockages. Decant the waste
cooking oil into a suitable container (e.g. a plastic sandwich bag) and dispose of in a bin.

Spillages can be cleaned with soapy water and paper towel.