I am all about trying to bring more fun into our home during this quarantine, and also sprinkle in some education. My toddler went crazy over this science experiment! Like most preschoolers, he just loves colors and rainbows - so this was right up his alley. My favorite part of this experiment was that the setup was very easy!
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR YOUR EXPERIMENT
Cups. Any size will do, but the smaller your cup, the less of the other materials you’ll need and the more fizz spill. I preferred to use clear disposable cups that I had left over from a party.
Baking soda
Vinegar
Food coloring. Liquid is best. Avoid gel food colorings for this.
Step 1: Gather your materials
Before you officially begin, get all your materials out so you aren’t running back and forth to the kitchen. I recommend doing this experiment outside because it can get messy. If you’re doing this experiment inside, you might want to put your cups in a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: Prepare your cups
Fill each cup with baking soda. Any amount will be good - but the more baking soda you add, the bigger the fizz! Don’t fill more than 3/4 of the way full because you'll want to have room for your vinegar.
Step 3: Add your colors
Now it’s time to add a few drops of food coloring into each cup. One color per cup to create a rainbow effect. Once the color is added in, mix up your baking soda until the color is well distributed throughout. I used a long toothpick to stir. A straw would also work well.
Step 4: Add the vinegar
This is where the magic happens … this is the fun part!! You’re going to pour vinegar into each cup and watch the colors explode. Okay, not really explode … more like erupt! The baking soda reacts to the vinegar as the meet and create a fizzy rainbow eruption! The fizzy eruption doesn’t last that long, so move quickly. Add more baking soda and vinegar to get a second and third fizzy reaction.
The science behind it …
They react with each other because they exchange atoms. In this scenario, the baking soda actas as a base and takes a proton from vinegar, which is an acid. The reaction between the two materials releases gas because when the baking soda receives the proton, it transforms into water and carbon dioxide.
My boys loved watching the colors come to life, and I hope your kids love it, too!
XO,
A.