Elephant Toothpaste

Overview:

In this experiment, students are going to learn about chemistry by taking part in this fun project known as Elephant’s Toothpaste. It ends in this really cool foam explosion!

Time: 

15-20 minutes

Lesson Materials:

*You can use the document in the link below to either: tailor the experiment to your needs or to have a printable version of this lesson plan*

Elephant Toothpaste Lesson Plan

The plan is editable and printable. Copy the Google Doc in your own drive and make edits or you can just print.

Elephant Toothpaste Lesson Video:

Learning Objectives:

  1. Witness how a chemical reaction can affect a substance
  2. Learn about the scientific method and apply it in real life

Materials Needed:

  • Soda or water bottle (preferably a large one);16 oz. recommended
  • 1 tablespoon of dry yeast
  • ½ cup hydrogen peroxide (3-6% concentration)
  • 1 tablespoon of dish soap
  • Funnel
  • Safety Glasses
  • 3 tablespoons warm water
  • A spoon to mix the yeast and water
  • Food coloring (optional)

Experimental Methods:

  1. Gather all of the materials and take it to an area that can be easily cleaned.
  2. Take your funnel and put it on top of the bottle.
  3. Pour a half-cup of Hydrogen Peroxide into this bottle
  4. Optional: If you would like to put in food coloring, put in one, two or several drops of food coloring.
  5. Add in the tablespoon of dish soap
  6. Swish the bottle around, mixing the ingredients very well
  7. Now, in a separate cup, add in your yeast and warm water and mix until it is the consistency of melted ice cream.
  8. Read this carefully before you imitate it:pour the yeast water into the funnel, take out the funnel and take a few big steps back.

Questions to Think About:

  1. Feel the side of the bottle. Does it feel warm or cool?
  2. If the bottle were a different size, would it change the amount of foam that comes out?
  3. What additions would make this experiment better?

Chemistry:

This experiment is incredible. Generally speaking, it is natural for hydrogen peroxide to break down into water and oxygen on its own. However, yeast is a sort of catalyst and when added to the peroxide, it would make this natural reactions happen faster. In this experiment, the hydrogen peroxide would lock onto the yeast. This yeast broke apart the peroxide and turned it into oxygen and water. The chemical reaction broke down so that all that there was left was soapy water and yeast . The oxygen produced from the yeast combined with the dish soap to make the foam. The oxygen went out so quickly that it took the soap with it. In addition to foam there was also a formation of energy that came out as heat. Since it produced heat, some of the water may have come out as steam. Of course, the rest of the water may still be in the bottle.

Society:

This results in an explosion and explosions are cool. Of course, there is also this concept of using catalysts to get the chemical reaction that somebody desires. A catalyst just makes a reaction happen faster. Why would anybody want this? Well, people use this for a variety of reasons. One use for catalysts is a cars’ Catalytic converter. A catalytic converter will take the poisonous gas that comes out of a cars’ engine and will break it down into less harmful gasses.

Logistics:

STEAM Subjects: 

Science (more specifically, Chemistry), Mathematics (fractions), and Art

Science Vocabulary: 

Reaction, substance, solution

References:

  • Awesome Science Experiments for Kids: 100+ Fun Stem / Steam Projects and Why They Work, by Crystal Ward Chatterton, Rockridge Press, 2018, pp. 36–37. 
  • “Home Version of Elephant Toothpaste!” ScienceBob.com, 21 Sept. 2020, sciencebob.com/fantastic-foamy-fountain/. 
  • Science Rocks!, by Ian Graham and Mike Goldsmith, DK, 2011, pp. 34–35.