This page contains full project details. For the summary, please see the Project Summary.
Science Fair Project Description
In this fun experiment, you'll make a giant tube of foam that rushes out of a bottle, just like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. The foam is filled with oxygen and created through an exothermic reaction, which means heat is created during the reaction!
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that by mixing the ingredients together, the chemical reaction will make a lot of foam.
Overview
Have you ever seen a large tube of foam rushing out of a bottle like toothpaste? That's what we call Elephant Toothpaste, and you can easily make it with simple ingredients! This fun science experiment creates a chemical reaction that produces oxygen and generates heat, known as an exothermic reaction. Get ready to be amazed by the elephant toothpaste foam!
a clean empty 16-oz plastic soda bottle or water bottle
1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide
a squirt of liquid dish soap
a few drops of food coloring
1 tablespoon or one packet of dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water
a spoon
a small cup
gloves
safety goggles
a tray or washable surface to do this experiment.
Procedure
Before doing this science experiment, it's important to wear safety goggles and gloves.
Begin by adding hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and a few drops of food coloring to an empty plastic soda bottle.
In a separate small cup, mix yeast with warm water with the spoon.
Carefully pour the yeast water mixture into the plastic soda bottle and gently swirl the bottle until you see the foaminess begin to appear. Be prepared, as the foam produced will quickly overflow from the bottle!
Don't forget to feel the bottle with your gloved hands, as the exothermic reaction will cause it to feel warm.
Is elephant toothpaste safe to play with?
The main safety concern with elephant toothpaste is the hydrogen peroxide solution, as it can be irritating to the eyes and skin. While the foam should contain a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution, it's still advisable to wear safety goggles and gloves when handling the foam to avoid any potential irritation.
Results
The elephant toothpaste reaction quickly created foam that rushed out of the bottle, and the bottle felt warm to the touch.
Conclusion
This science experiment demonstrates that an exciting reaction occurs when hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and dry yeast mixture are mixed together. Each ingredient alone does not produce foam, but when they are mixed together, they create a foaming reaction. Let's examine each part of the experiment to understand why this reaction takes place!
What does the hydrogen peroxide do?
Naturally, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water (a liquid) and oxygen (a gas) very slowly. But when you make elephant toothpaste, this reaction occurs much more rapidly!
What does the warm water yeast mixture do?
Dry yeast contains the protein catalase, which acts as a catalyst to speed up reactions. Catalase quickly breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. When warm water is added to the yeast, it helps distribute the yeast evenly in the water. This allows the catalase catalyst to work over a larger area, resulting in a more efficient reaction.
What does the soap do?
When hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen gas, soap traps the oxygen gas in tiny foam bubbles. This allows us to see the oxygen gas that was produced, similar to how we can see the air we blow into a bubblegum bubble.
Why is the bottle warm?
The bottle feels warm after the reaction because the reaction created heat. This type of reaction is called an exothermic reaction.
Why do this project?
The elephant toothpaste experiment is not only visually impressive, but it's also an excellent way to explore chemistry. With simple ingredients, you can observe a powerful chemical reaction that generates heat and shows you the power of a catalyst.
Also consider
Use bottles with different-sized openings to create even more gigantic 'Dinosaur Toothpaste' eruptions or tiny 'Mouse Toothpaste' eruptions!
Try removing one ingredient at a time to see what happens. For example, instead of yeast with warm water, try the experiment with just water. In another experiment, see what happens when you don't add dish soap.
Experiment with the amount of hydrogen peroxide and yeast to see how it affects the size and duration of the foam eruption.
Try using various colors of food coloring to see how they mix and create new colors in the foam.
Experiment with different types of soap and detergents to see if they affect the foam's texture.
Hey there! Here are some awesome videos about this science project that we think you'll really like. They're not only super fun, but they'll also help you learn more about the science behind the project. So sit back, relax, and get ready to have some fun!!
The elephant toothpaste experiment is not just for adults, even young kids can join in the fun! An adult can assist by pouring the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle, and then the kids can add the remaining ingredients! The main ingredient responsible for a more vigorous reaction and a larger amount of foam produced in this video is 6% hydrogen peroxide! While 3% hydrogen peroxide is readily available, you may be able to find 6% hydrogen peroxide from a beauty supply store.
Get ready for some exciting and explosive fun with the elephant toothpaste experiment! Using basic household items like an empty water bottle, hydrogen peroxide, soap, yeast, warm water, and some food coloring to create a colorful reaction!
Are you ready to see something super cool? Try the elephant toothpaste experiment with all colors of food coloring and watch a giant rainbow explosion of foam! This colorful science experiment is sure to amaze you!
