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Halloween is over, and now you're left with a two-day-old jack-o'-lantern on your porch. Why not turn it into a science experiment?? Today'sexperiment, courtesy of the blog "Growing a Jeweled Rose," just gushes with fun!
Materials
- Carved pumpkin
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Food coloring
Process
- Fill your pumpkins with a bit baking soda (about 4 tablespoons per pumpkin.)
- Add a few drops of food coloring.
- Add vinegar...and the eruptions begin!
Results
What appears to be one reaction is actually two, happening in quick succession. This reaction is an example of a multi-step reaction. The acetic acid (that's what makes vinegar sour) reacts with sodium bicarbonate (a compound that's in baking soda) to form carbonic acid.
Carbonic acid is unstable, and it immediately falls apart into carbon dioxide and water. The bubbles you see from the reaction come from the carbon dioxide escaping the solution that is left. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so it flows almost like water when it overflows the container. It's a gas that you exhale (though in small amounts), because it's a product of the reactions that keep your body going.
What's left is a dilute solution of sodium acetate in water.
Want more? See all of our science experiments on the blog or on Pinterest.
