Elephant Toothpaste

Create a chemical reaction that looks like very, very large toothpaste!

What you need:

  • 6% hydrogen peroxide – you can purchase this from a chemist, not the supermarket
  • yeast powder
  • warm water
  • empty soft drink bottle
  • dishwashing liquid
  • food colouring (optional)
  • rubber gloves
  • safety glasses
  • funnel or jug

What to do:

  1. Put on the safety glasses and gloves.
  2. Pour 100mL 6% hydrogen peroxide into the soft drink bottle using a jug or funnel to avoid spills.
  3. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and some food colouring.
  4. Add a packet of dry yeast with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well.
  5. Pour the yeast into the bottle and stand back.

What happens:

Hydrogen peroxide is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. The yeast causes the release of the oxygen. The oxygen is in the form of a gas, which gets trapped in the dishwashing liquid, causing the entire thing to froth up. If you use a smaller bottle, you will get a more impressive result!

 

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