How To Make a Small Volcano Eruption at Home?

Want to see a volcano eruption up close? Make a Volcano erupt in your backyard with volcano science experiments. The best way to help your child learn acid and basic puzzling concepts are to perform a simple volcano experiment. For children at home, baking soda vinegar volcanoes are the best way to teach kids about the chemical reactions between acids and bases. With the help of this article, you will learn about how to make a volcano at home.

How to make a volcano eruption at home?

Are you wonder how to make a homemade volcano eruption? It is quite simple. Here is a step-by-step guide to doing volcano science experiments with your kids.

  • Step 1: Mix dishwashing liquid, water, vinegar, and food colouring. Then pour it into an empty soda bottle.
  • Step 2: Make a solution of baking soda with ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup water. Mix together with a spoon until completely dissolved.
  • Step 3: It’s time to Erupt! Quickly but carefully pour this solution into the vial and then back off. Watch the volcano erupt and spew out red lava.

What is the science behind the phenomena?

Volcano science experiments will make your children will be stunned when a homemade volcano erupts and spews out red lava. You need to help them understand the science behind the experiment by asking questions and giving advice. Some of the questions you need to ask your kid.

  • What did you learn from the volcanic eruption experiment?
  • Why do you think the liquid in the soda bottle explodes when you add the baking soda solution?
  • How does the volcano science project work? And how to make a volcano eruption with baking soda?

Spontaneous volcano eruption is due to chemical reactions between acids and bases. The acetic acid present in the vinegar reacts with the sodium hydrogen carbonate in baking soda and forms carbon dioxide. The base (sodium hydrogen carbonate) reacts with decomposition upon contact with the acid. This produces a gas called carbon dioxide. This causes a self-made volcano to “erupt!”

You can also teach your kids this science experiment with a recent volcano eruption. On December 20, 2021, a tonga volcano eruption began on Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai, an underwater volcano in the Tonga Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The eruption reached a very large and powerful climax almost four weeks later, on January 15, 2022. This is one of the recent volcanic eruptions. 

What are the creative ways to make a volcano at home?

Did you know that there are many ways to make a volcano at home? Now you know the science behind volcanic eruptions.

  1. Tape volcano:

You will need the below things for the working model of volcano eruption. They are given by,

  • Vinegar
  • Tall plastic container
  • Baking powder
  • Acrylic paint
  • Plastic sheet
  • Tape

Instruction:

Step 1: For the baking soda vinegar tape volcano, you place the tall plastic container on the top to the sides of your plastic sheet. This dish serves as the base for your volcano. Continue with tape to wrap around your container in this manner.

Step 2: Next you can paint your ‘volcano’ with Acrylic Paint 

Step 3: When you are done with the volcano, add a few baking soda and vinegar drops to the volcano and watch it explode! You can add red food colouring to make the volcano look more realistic with the red lava gushing out.

  • Ice volcano:

You need the below things to make an ice volcano,

  • Plastic wrap
  • Ball
  • Small bowl

Instruction:

Step 1: To create an ice volcano, place a ball (non-floating) at the bottom of each bowl. Line each bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 2: Next, put the baking soda, water, and food colouring mixture into these bowls to cover the bottom balls.

Step 3: Place these bowls in the freezer for a few minutes.

Step 4: Once frozen, pry your ‘volcano’ out of the bowl. Then add a few drops of vinegar. Your ice volcano erupts as soon as the vinegar touches it.

  • Sand volcano:

You need the below things to make a sand volcano,

  • Sand
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • Funnel
  • Empty plastic bottle
  • Red/orange food colouring

Instruction:

Step 1: First, place an empty plastic bottle in the sand pile.

Step 2: Use a funnel to add baking soda to the bottle.

Step 3: Mix the food colouring and vinegar together. Then pour this mixture into a jar and watch the volcano erupt.

  • Mini volcano:

You need the below things to make a mini volcano,

  • Egg carton
  • Scissors
  • Baking powder
  • Vinegar
  • Red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and pink food colouring

Instructions: 

Step 1: Cut the bottom of each egg holder in your egg box and turn it over. You will notice that each channel now looks like a small volcano.

Step 2: Pour the baking soda into each compartment.

Step 3: Add coloured vinegar (vinegar + food colouring) to the box. You can create different colour explosions. In this way, a colourful volcano eruption will shock your child.

  • Newspaper volcano:

You need the below things to make a newspaper volcano,

  • Newspaper
  • Cardboard
  • Large plastic bottle
  • Cellulose glue
  • Colour
  • Scissors

Instruction:

Step 1: First, place the bottle in the centre of your cardboard base. Apply glue all over the cardboard and paint over the crumpled paper.

Step 2: Then stick the newspaper around it and paint the entire structure to make sure it looks like a volcano. Set aside and let dry for a few hours or days.

Step 3: When it is ready, have your child pour the baking soda, vinegar, and food colouring into the bottle to make the volcano explode.

Conclusion: 

Volcanoes are mountains with magma chambers. The magma chamber is filled with liquid rock. If there is enough pressure inside the room, volcanoes can erupt lava from the top of the volcano. Hope you enjoy doing these volcano eruption science projects with your little ones. These experiments polished your understanding of science and cultivated creativity and imagination.