Lava Lamps - Investigating Chemical Energy- Senior Infants

Science  -  Chemistry - Lava Lamp

In Senior infants we made a lava lamp to learn about chemical energy.

Chemical energy is energy released during chemical reactions.

In order to understand how the lava lamp worked we carried out 6 activities comparing oil and water.

The Senior Infant Scientists predicted what might happen before we carried out each activity.

1. Water and a non effervescent tablet

2. Water and an Alka-Seltzer tablet

3.Water and food colouring

4.Oil and food colouring

5.Oil and an Alka-Seltzer tablet

6.Water and oil.

To make the lava lamp we poured a quarter of a plastic bottle with water. Then we added two thirds of the water filled with oil. James and Sophie noticed the oil and water were seperating. We observed that the oil floated to the top. This is because oil is less dense or lighter than water.When they were separated we added 12 drops of food colouring. Adam and Aelana described how the food colouring did not mix with the oil.Matthew excitedly dropped the Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle.

All of the Senior Infants Scientists were delighted to see the chemical reaction causing are bottles to look like lava lamps. 

Check out this video from Science Bob if you want to make your own.
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/videos/video-blobs.php