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How to make your own lava lamp at home

Follow these simple steps to entertain and teach your kids.

AUSTIN, Texas — Being a parent is always tough, but it seems even more difficult right now. Parents are having to entertain and educate their kids from home and this is a project that does both!

Follow these simple steps to make your very own lava lamp. Your kids will have fun making them, and they will be getting a science lesson.

Here is some science vocabulary worth knowing for this project: density, carbon dioxide, acid and base.

Density is the measurement of how compact a substance is or how much of it fits in a certain amount of space.

Carbon dioxide is what we breathe out and is also what you hear when you open your Topo Chico. You'll hear the hissing sound in this project when you add Alka-Seltzer to the mixture.

Inside of Alka-Setzer is both an acid and a base. When you drop the tablet in water, the acid and base mix, and a reaction happens.

Credit: Brittany Flowers

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Here's what you need:

  • Vegetable oil
  • Water
  • Food coloring
  • Alka-Seltzer tablets
  • Bottle for your lava lamp (This example uses a vase, but water bottles would work!)

Step One:

Fill the bottle most of the way with vegetable oil.

Step Two:

Fill the rest of the bottle with water. The water will sink to the bottom of the bottle because water is denser than oil.

Step Three:

Add food coloring to the mixture.

Step Four:

Break your Alka-Seltzer into a few pieces and add it to the bottle.

Step Five:

Watch your lava lamp erupt!

When your lava lamp slows down, you can add more Alka-Seltzer. It will even work days later.

WATCH: How to make your own lava lamp 

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