Lava Lamp (Creative Chemistry Experiments)

You will need:

1. A clear large plastic
   bottle
2. Water
3. Oil
4. Food colour
5. Eno (or any other antacid
   which has sodium
   bicarbonate and citric
   acid)

Lava lamps are quite a rage nowadays. But, instead of buying one, why not make your very own lava lamp–that too without any electricity?

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill the bottle ¾ of the way with oil.
2. Next, pour water (the remaining ¼ of the way).
3. Keep in mind to leave some space at
   the top of the bottle.
4. Wait till oil and water
   have separated.
5. Add a few drops
   of the food colour
   you like. They will
   mix with the water
   but not with the oil.
6. Add Eno tablet or any other
   antacid to the water-oil mixture.

RESULT

The mixture starts getting a little crazy now. The antacid mixes with the coloured water at the bottom and releases gas, which starts to rise upwards through the oil. The gas takes blobs of the coloured water with it to the top. Once the gas is released, the water molecules once again begin to sink, creating a very cool lava lamp. Once the bubbling has stopped, you can add more antacid to recreate the same effect.