Wacky Lava Lamp

Create some wacky water patterns in a water bottle or jar in this Lava Lamp creation! What you’ll need:

• 1 Used Water Bottle or Jar (or something clear)

• Water

• Food Coloring

• Vegetable Oil

• Salt

• 1 Flashlight

• Glitter (optional)

• And of course, 1 Wacky Experimenter

Step 1: Make sure the bottle or jar is EMPTY, and you’re clearly able to see into the bottle.

Step 2: Fill the empty bottle or jar THREE-QUARTERS (3/4) FULL with water.

Step 3: Add just a few drops of the food coloring of your choice. (Also add glitter if you’re using it).

Step 4: Add the vegetable oil (almost to the top, but leave some space), and let the oil rise to the top.

Step 5: Now add about a spoonful of salt at a time to create the LAVA! Hold the flashlight behind or (carefully) underneath to make the lava more noticeable.

Try This!

Add salt again to make more lava! Add some glitter for more sparkle! Enjoy!

Side Notes:

How does the water act like lava? It’s science! The water is more dense than the oil (it’s heavier), so the oil floats to the top. When the salt is added, the oil attaches to the grains of salt creating blobs (lava). Since salt is denser than water, it sinks to the bottom and takes the blobs of oil with it! It rises back to the top after the salt dissolves because the oil has nothing to latch onto anymore. COOL!

What color did you try?