STEAM Day – Making Lava Lamps!

by | Mar 17, 2023 | Kapoor Class 2022/23, Learning Theme, Music, Science

Last Friday, Year 1 Kapoor Class were thrilled about making Lava Lamps with their friends from across the school!

All the children at Lansbury Lawrence celebrated STEAM Day with interesting activities. One of them was making Lava Lamps!

We took turns pouring and mixing liquids and watched the chemical reactions happen LIVE!

How to make a Lava Lamp!

You will need:

Oil

Bicarbonate Soda

Food Colouring

Vinegar

A Glass Jar

First, you put a few drops (4/5 drops) of food colouring of your choice into 40ml of vinegar.

Next, you put two table spoons of bicarbonate soda into a glass jar.

Then, pour oil 3/4 of the way.

Finally, pour the vinegar mixture into the jar and watch the lava lamp go!

Lava Lamps glowed super bright in the sunlight!

Children were amazed by the chemical reaction!
Ayaan was excited about his Lava Lamp that he created with his friends.

The vinegar caused the bicarbonate soda to react; producing lots of bubbles or “lava”

Michael is demonstrating how to make the first part of the liquid.

Carefully pouring the oil into the glass jar.

The vinegar and food colouring mixture is poured into the oil and bicarbonate soda mix.
Safia is counting the drops of food colouring.

We talked about the importance of using glass because the vinegar can erode through plastic over time.

Children discussed the durability of glass as strong and water/vinegar proof!

Last step: Halima is pouring the vinegar and red food colouring mixture into the glass jar.

Jethro found the Lava Lamp calming.
Children diligently observed Ms. Begum modelling the steps to the experiment.
Isra is mesmerised by the blue lava!

Zain enjoyed putting a few drops of blue food colouring into the vinegar.

To end the day, Year 1 Kapoor Class were given a flower each and they chose which jar to leave it in over a week. They made predictions about what will happen to their white flowers.

Here are some predictions that children shared:

  1. The white flower will change colour.
  2. I think the orange one won’t change the colour because it is too light to show anything.
  3. I think the broken stem one won’t change colour.

Then, the following questions arose in our discussions:

  1. Does the colour determine what will happen to the flower?
  2. Does breaking a stem affect what happens to the white flower?
  3. How long does it take to see a change in the flower?
  4. Will the flowers die quickly because it is not in the soil anymore?

Update:

A week later, children observed their flowers and noticed that the flowers changed into the colour they were put in, including the orange one! However, the flower with the broken stem remained white and we discussed why this was. Interestingly, children were surprised that the flowers survived and are still surviving till this day!

Before
After a week, all of the flowers changed colours!

We noticed that the blue and yellow flower was more vibrant than the purple flower.

The yellow colour was strong

The purple food colouring did not affect the white flower as much as the other colours.

Some said maybe there was not enough food colouring. Others said maybe it was the way we cut the stem. One child noticed that there was less water in the purple jar compared to the other jars so maybe that affected the change in the colour.

That is all for now. We hope you enjoyed reading our blog!

Year 1 Kapoor