Fizzing Colors
What is a chemical reaction and how does it work?
When mixing baking soda and vinegar, a chemical reaction occurs. During the process, you get carbon dioxide from the mixture. You might have heard of carbon dioxide before, it’s a gas humans release after taking in oxygen. During this experiment, you will observe what happens when mixing baking soda and vinegar, and create a colorful explosion.
Materials
Baking soda
Food coloring
Vinegar
Plate
Spoon or Straw
Procedure
Step 1
Cover your plate with an even layer of baking soda
Step 2
Apply various drops of food coloring along your baking soda base
Step 3
Use a spoon or straw to drip vinegar onto each drop of food coloring
Step 4
Enjoy the chemical reactions of colorful fizzy eruptions.
Science Explanations
K-2nd grade . . .
- What happens when you add the vinegar to the baking soda? (Answer: a reaction occurs that causes it to fizz.)
- How many fizzy explosions can you make?
- How colorful can you make your fizzy explosions? What different colors can you make with the colors you have? (Answer: red=blue=purple, blue+yellow=green, etc.)
3rd-5th grade . . .
- What happens when you mix the vinegar and baking soda? (Answer: a chemical reaction occurs that causes fizzing.)
- Why do you think the fizzing occurred? (Answer: elements in both materials exchange atoms, or a basic unit of a chemical substance, and result in carbon dioxide.)
- Have you ever heard of carbon dioxide? What is it? (Answer: Carbon dioxide is a gas we release after inhaling oxygen. It is also what plants take in to release oxygen back into the air.) NGSS 5-PS1-1 and NGSS 5-PS1-4
Math Extensions
Kindergarten . . .
- How many different colors of food coloring do you have?
- As you’re adding food coloring, count how many drops you do.
- How many of each color did you use? CCSS.MATH.MC.K
Written by Taylor St. Clair Inspired by KiwiCo