Easy and Messy Science
Baking soda and vinegar – the basis for that erupting volcano science fair project.
We discovered a fun variation: chemical reaction based on bottle shape.
Purpose:
Test how the reaction intensity changes based on container shape.
Supplies:
- Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate. NaHCO₃)
- Vinegar (Acetic acid. CH₃COOH)
- Various shaped empty bottle, like soda bottles, ketchup or mustard bottles, open mouth jars. Smaller is better. Our favorite was an empty tabasco bottle.
- Syringe / eye dropper / turkey baster. Something that you can squirt liquid out of.
Instructions:
Go outside, or where you can get messy.
- Put baking soda in a bottle. Start with 1 teaspoon.
- Add a few drops of vinegar.
- Observe.
- Switch bottles and repeat.
- Try changing the amount of baking soda or vinegar.
Data:
- Track amounts of vinegar and baking soda in each test.
- Track the bottle shape in each test.
- How long did the reaction last?
- How high did the bubbles go?
- Does the reaction change based on how fast you squirt the vinegar?
Conclusions:
- What combination of quantities and shapes worked best?
- How do you define “best?
- What was most fun?
- How did you make the most powerful reaction?
- How did you make a reaction last the longest?
- What practical uses are there for this kind of experiment?
Chemistry:
NaHCO3 + HC2H3O2 → NaC2H3O2 + H2O + CO2
Sodium bicarbonate + Acetic acid {react and create} Sodium acetate + Water + Carbon dioxide.