How to Build a Volcano
Introduction
Learning about the earth sciences does not have to be dry and boring. You can learn about concepts in geology and chemistry through a simple experiment with items that you may already have at home. You can start by building your own homemade volcano in a matter of about thirty minutes time.
Science Can Be Fun
In this volcano, baking soda and vinegar will be mixed together. This mixture will result in a reaction that will cause the “lava” to rapidly escape from the mouth of the volcano, much like what occurs in a real volcanic eruption. However, this volcano is totally non toxic and easy to clean up at the end of the experiment – unlike a real volcano!
Materials
Because building a working volcano in your home is serious business, you will want to be sure that you get everything checked out with your parents (or your landlord) before you begin. When they give you the clear, you should start to pick up the materials that you need. First to build the volcano itself, you will need 6 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, and 2 cups of water. For the lava you will need warm water, baking soda, red food coloring, dishwasher detergent, and vinegar. Finally, for construction purposes you will need a baking dish and a plastic soda bottle (2 liter or smaller).
Making the Dough
Now that you have necessary things put together, you can start making the dough, which will become your mountain. While you could buy Play-Dough or another kind of ready made dough at the store, it is much cheaper to just make your own out of flour, salt, and water. Mix the flour, salt, cooking oil, and water together and stir until the mixture becomes smooth but firm. If it is still somewhat runny, just add some more flour or let it set out in the open air for a few minutes until it starts to harden.
Sculpting the Volcano
Next, take your soda bottle and place it upright on the baking dish. Start adding your dough to the exterior of the bottle and begin sculpting it like a mountain. At this stage, you can do whatever you want to the dough to make the mountain look pleasing to you. For example, you could cut crevices in it or make areas for your lava to flow. Whatever you do though, do not get any of your dough inside of the bottle and do not cover up the top of the bottle.
Coloring Your Lava
Once your mountain has been sculpted, heat up enough water to fill the bottle more than half way. You do not need to boil the water, just keep it warm. Pour the warm water into the bottle and add your red food coloring. If you want orange lava you can also add a few drops of yellow. Be sure that you work quickly, as the lava explodes from the volcano much better if the water is warm.
Volcanic Eruption!
Add only six drops of dishwasher detergent to the water. This will produce foam from the volcano, which resembles the steam and gases that emerge from a real volcano during an eruption. Next, add two tablespoons of baking soda to the bottle. You can add more if you are looking for a really massive eruption – but check with your parents before you go too wild. Finally, you can add the vinegar into the bottle. While it is recommended that you pour slowly, you can pour as quickly as you like – but be sure that you allow the baking soda and the vinegar to mix properly for a spectacular eruption. As the volcano erupts, the reaction will produce carbon dioxide just like a real volcano does. Better yet, you do not have to deal with all of the harmful gases and molten hot lava that a real volcano produces.
* Volcanoes are colossal, but who says you can’t make your own mini-version? While you have the drive, you should also try building a waterfall for your backyard. Making your very own pond for the little duckies to swim in, isn’t a bad idea either, just as long as you know the basics of pond construction. For the finishing touch, learn how to build a fountain and put it in your front yard.