Lava Lamp

Science Experiment
Adrianna Merlino
EDU 214
 Problem/Question
• Since Oil and Water do not mix… What will happen when you add the
Alka-Seltzer, food coloring and water to the oil? Will the reaction
create a similar look to a lava lamp?
 Hypothesis

• My hypothesis is that when

the Alka-Seltzer tablet is
added to the combination
it will react with the water
and create bubbling
carbon dioxide with the
food coloring drops
 Materials
• The material availability for
this experiment is very
common and costs less than
$15
• All Materials needed are listed
below
• 1 Clean Plastic Bottle with a Cap
• Vegetable Oil
• 1 Alka-Seltzer
• Food Coloring
• Water
 Procedure
• Cover surface with newspaper that will be used for the experiment to avoid any
damage
• Fill the plastic bottle ¾ full of vegetable oil.
• Add water to the neck of the bottle, leaving a little space between the water line
and the top of the container (You can always add more water later)
• Decide on a color for your ‘lava lamp’ bottle. Select the food coloring accordingly.
• Add 10 or more drops of food coloring to the bottle until a rich color is seen.
• Break the Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (6 to 8). Add one piece at a time
observing each reaction.
• When the bubbling stops replace the bottle cap.
• Tip the bottle back and forth and observe the reaction. Tip, twist, and shake the
bottle in different directions.
 Results/Data
• Once the Alka-Seltzer was added to the combination of
water, oil and food coloring it succeeded in created colorful
carbon dioxide bubbles in the bottle
• When shaking the bottle, the bubbles flowed throughout
the oil resembling the same features of a lava lamp.
 Conclusion
• Based on my results, my hypothesis was correct. The Alka-
Seltzer created more active bubbles that was most like a
Lava Lamp. This experiment explores the relationship
between oil and water. It also portrays the importance of
density and hydrophilic/hydrophobic compounds. Overall
this was a fun way to observe a chemical reaction between
a base and an acid.