Activity Overview
Combine this simple and common kitchen science experiment with food coloring and enjoy the oozing bubbly concoctions like any mad scientist would. You will want to spread newspapers on your table surface and do this one outside if you can; as it is as thrilling to watch as it is messy. Kids will delight in the reaction that they safely can create themselves and color makes this experiment come to life.
What You Need
4 Heaping Tbs. Baking Soda
1 Cup of Vinegar
4 Different food colorings
Muffin tin or small paper cups
a teaspon
Newspaper to cover the surface underneath
How to Do It
- Fill each muffin cup about half full of vinegar.
- Put some food coloring in each cup of vinegar. I recommend using non natural food coloring for more vibrant results
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda into each of the muffin cups or cups.
- Watch the reaction.
Scientific Explanation
The baking soda reacts with the acetic acid from the vinegar to form carbonic acid. The carbonic acid is unstable and instantly falls apart into water and carbon dioxide which quickly escapes the water as a gas. The gas bubbles up but because it is heavier than air, it falls down again so to speak, flowing like water over the sides of your cup or muffin tin.
