We couldn’t decide whether to call this activity Baking Soda Art or Baking Soda Science because really it’s both art and science.
Some of the best art supplies can be found in your kitchen cupboard. There is nothing better than an easy project that can keep your child busy for a while. The kids that we asked to try it out wanted to keep playing until there was no more fizz. Not only will this project keep your child busy it also a science project that exercises finger control. Have fun with this one!
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There really is something so satisfying about watching baking soda and vinegar react together. What makes this method particularly pleasing is the combination of using a large pan so that there is plenty of space to place the colors and the colors make it look beautiful!
Mix small amounts of the vinegar with the food color.
Put the baking soda in a 9×12 dish.
Use the eyedropper to squirt the vinegar into the baking soda.
Watch what happens!
Here is the explanation of the science behind baking soda art:
What actually happens is this: the acetic acid (that’s what makes vinegar sour) reacts with sodium bicarbonate (a compound that’s in baking soda) to form carbonic acid. It’s really a double replacement reaction. Carbonic acid is unstable, and it immediately falls apart into carbon dioxide and water (it’s a decomposition reaction). 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 is a gas that you exhale (though in small amounts) because it is a product of the reactions that keep your body going.
