| How to Make a Volcano Sep 30th 2012, 14:00 Few kids can resist the allure of making a volcano in their own home... even if it is made out of simple things like clay and soda. Making a volcano is an ideal science experiment, homeschool or school project or just something to get the kids to do on a rainy day. And even the adults can have some fun making these, if you include the activity as a party game. This article presents various different ways to make a volcano––choose the one that seems the most interesting to you. Note: Always pour the lava ingredients somewhere that it's safe to make a mess. It is recommended to set off the actual volcanic explosion outside if you don't want to clean up a mess! Clay and bottle volcano - Form the bottom of the volcano. Purchase clay, or make your own salt dough/play dough or clay.
- Get a clean 15 ounce soda or water bottle, and place it in the center of the base.
- Build the clay up around the bottle, making sure to press the clay firmly around the base of it. Take care not to get any other materials around or inside the mouth of the bottle.
- In a small sink, combine both baking soda and vinegar.
- Place the funnel in the mouth of the bottle and pour in the vinegar, then stand back! Alternatively, if you want another way to make it erupt, put Pepsi or diet coke in the bottle then drop either two or three Mentos.
Clay and soda can volcano - Lay down a sheet of wax paper.
- Put a soda can on the center of the volcano. If you have a large base, you can use a larger can.
- Mold the clay from the base to the top of the can. Remove the can.
- Leave for one hour or until dry.
- Color some vinegar with red food coloring.
- Pour it into the volcano.
- Take baking powder and pour it on a square of toilet paper or paper towel.
- Fold up the toilet paper/paper towel. Keep it closed with rubber bands.
- Drop the baking soda roll in the vinegar.
- Step away. Once the paper dissolves, your volcano will explode.
Staircase volcano - Take a plastic container and build a dirt mountain around it, making sure not to cover the top of the plastic container.
- Fill the container halfway with dirt, or if you want something really big, fill it 75% full.
- If you want this to be really fancy or realistic, add red food coloring, or, you can use clay.
- Add some mustard and ketchup to make the lava look more realistic after adding the vinegar.
- Add the baking soda, step back, and enjoy!
- You can paint and decorate your volcano if you wish, just make sure it has plenty of time to dry before eruption or adding more moisture might cause it to fall apart.
- It's best if you pour the ingredients very carefully or there might be a very messy explosion.
- Try using soda and mint candy in combination to increase the effects of the explosion.
Edit Warnings - This is an extremely messy experiment! It's best performed outdoors or in a kitchen or bathroom with tile floors. If using food coloring, there is a risk of staining floors and furnishings.
- Stand back as soon as you pour in the vinegar––the volcano will immediately start to erupt.
- This experiment can be dangerous if you are too close. The fizzing ingredients can end up in your eyes if you're too close to the volcano when it erupts. Step back 2 feet (60cm, 2 ruler lengths) immediately.
Edit Things You'll Need (Items needed depend on method chosen; for more details see steps within each method.) - Play-dough or flour, salt, water and cooking oil for making your own dough
- Pie tin or plastic container
- Suitably sized plastic bottle or soda can or container
- Red, orange, pink, brown, or green food coloring
- Liquid dish soap
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Funnel
- Dirt
- Wax paper
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