An erupting volcano model can help children understand how a real volcano eruption occurs.
A volcano model made of dough or clay that erupts with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda is a entertaining and educational science activity for kids. Even preschool-age children love to watch the erupting "lava" bubbling out of the volcano's top. The fizzy bubbles are caused by carbon dioxide that is released as a product of the chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda.
Instructions
1. Place the cardboard inside the tray. Cut the neck of the bottle off at an angle and stand the bottle up in the center of the tray. Glue it to the cardboard and let dry completely.
2. Mix the flour and salt together. Add water to make a dough with the consistency of modeling clay. Build a mountain around the plastic bottle, tapering as you go so the volcano top is at the neck of the bottle. Feel free to sculpt gullies, boulders and canyons into the mountainside. Depending on the size of the bottle, you may need more than one batch of dough. Let each batch dry partially before adding on to it, and let the finished volcano dry overnight.
3. Paint the volcano to give it a realistic appearance. You may want to paint the top white to represent snow or ice, while the lower part should be a mix of brown, gray and green patches representing rock and plants. Let the paint dry completely.
4. Mix the vinegar, food coloring and dishwashing detergent together and carefully pour it into the bottle inside the volcano. Use the funnel to keep the mixture from spilling onto the sides of the mountain.
5. Wrap the baking soda in the small piece of tissue and drop it gently inside the bottle. In a few seconds, a red fizzy liquid full of bubbles will foam out of the opening and down the sides of the volcano.
Tags: baking soda, neck bottle, vinegar baking, vinegar baking soda, volcano model
