This Erupting Lemon Volcano Science Project for kids is a fun and easy science project for children of all ages. Not only do you get to turn a lemon into a volcano and watch it erupt, you learn what happens when you mix an acid (lemon) with a base (baking soda).
This experiment is a little messy, make sure you cover your workspace.
Follow the step-by-step directions below to make your very own lemon volcano and remember to have fun!
Click here to learn more about what happens when you mix an acid and a base.
Materials:
- paper plate
- lemon
- knife (adult use only)
- food coloring (1 color)
- dish soap
- spoon
- baking soda
- small bowl or cup
Step 1:
Have the adult cut the bottom of the lemon slightly so that it can stand upright. Don’t cut too deep or the juices will come out.
Step 2:
Have the adult cut the top of the lemon off (cut a little deeper so you can squeeze the juice out)
Step 3:
Have the kids squeeze the juice out into a small bowl or cup.
Step 4:
Using the spoon, mix the inside of the lemon, so additional juice comes out and there is space to add the other ingredients.
Step 5:
Add a couple of drops of food coloring.
Step 6: Add a small amount of dish soap (this will make the eruption more bubbly).
Step 7: Pour the lemon juice back into the lemon.
Step 8: Add a spoonful of baking soda and watch your volcano erupt (it will happen immediately). To get a bigger eruption you can have the children mix inside the lemon.
What Happened?
What happened after you poured the baking soda into your lemon? Your lemon volcano should have erupted. You should have seen bubbles start pouring out of the lemon.
Why?
How does this happen? The baking soda is the base and the lemon is the acid. When they are combined they let out carbon dioxide which creates the fizzing bubbles.
I also did this experiment adding the baking soda before the juice and it looked like this:
You can do the experiments both ways and see which way gives you a bigger eruption.
Click here for another volcano project
