Today at Figment summer camp we made DIY Lava Lamps. It was a super easy and fun activity, that teaches kids about molecules and density, in a pretty fantastic way. Here is a quick How To!
-Please note that this has been edited. We realized after the lesson that more oil and less water works better. So photos do not match the updated instructions.
What you will need-
- Large glass VOSS Water bottles (I found them at my local grocery for $2.68 each, and drank a lot of water.)
- distilled water
- Pure Vegetable Oil or baby oil
- Food Coloring
- Alka-Seltzer Heartburn Tabs
- Plastic animals are optional.
- 100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover
- Paint Scraper
What to do-
- Drink the Voss water.
- Coat label with 100% Acetone.
- Scrape wording off with scraper. (Use caution when working with sharp blades. This is a job for an adult.)
- Fill bottle 1/4 full with distilled water. (A funnel comes in handy.)
- Add a drop of food coloring.
- Close and swirl well.
- Add 3/4 bottle with oil.
- Add Alka-Seltzer to watch the bubbles travel. Or you could just flip bottle slowly.
- Hot glue cap shut when you are done with the Alka-Seltzer play for spill safety.
- Place in a window to illuminate.
Why does oil and water not mix?
Oil is less dense than water, so it always floats to the top. The molecules don’t mix.