BLOBS IN A BOTTLE ( Lava Lamps )

Question:
 What will happen when you drop Alka Seltzer Tablets into a mixture of vegetable oil and water with a touch of food coloring?  Will the tablets just sink to the bottom and dissolve? 

Hypothesis:
We think the oil will remain at the bottom of the bottle because it is heavier and that the tablets will sink to the bottom and just dissolve.

Materials:
1 clean 32 oz.clear plastic  bottle
2/3 cup room temp. water
Vegetable Oil
Alka Seltzer tablets
​Food Coloring
Funnel 
Measuring Cup
​
Procedure:

1)  Use a funnel to pour the vegatable oil in the bottle until it is about 1/2 full.

2)Then use the funnel to slowly pour 2/3 cup of water into the bottle.

3) Wait for few minutes for water and oil to separate.

4) Add 10 drops of food coloring to bottle. (Green or blue seem to work best)
The drops will pass through the oil and mix into the water.

5) Drop in 2 Alka Seltzer tablets one at a time and observe.

SAFTEY WARNING
'
DO NOT PLACE THE CAP ON THE BOTTLE AS IT CAN EXPLODE.

The Science behind it:

​When the oil and water were added together, they didn't mix.  Oil is less dense than water so the oil rises to the top on the mixture. The food coloring passed through the oil and mixed with the water.  The Alka Seltzer reacts with the water to release Carbon Dioxide gas (CO2) which is less dense than BOTH the oil and water.  The CO2 gas rises up through both layers of water and oil until it reaches the surface and the bubbles pop creating beads of color. Once the blobs reach the top of the bottle, the gas escapes and the colored water then sinks back down.

Conclusion:
​​The experiment proved that the hypothesis was not entirely correct.  The Alka Seltzer tablet did sink and dissolve which created the gas that produced the colorful blobs but they dissolved in the water NOT the oil.

FUN TWIST:  Once you have the blobs really bubbling in the bottle, put a flashlight beneath the bottle for a GROOVY effect!!

About Author 1

ZOYA  loves to dance, play violin and play with her little sister. Her favorite subject is math and she loves to read and spend time at home with her family.Her
 favorite color is turquoise.

About Author 2

 ​​EMMA loves to sing,dance, and play sports.Her favorite subject is science and she also enjoys to hang out with her friends,and family. Her favorite color is turquoise.

About Author 3

SOPHIA  loves to bake, listen to music, loves sports and loves to watch over her little cousins.  Her favorite subject is reading and her favorite color is turquoise.

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