Lava Lamps By Katelyn Ann Montag

The Reason That I choose a Lava Lamp The reason that I choose to do a Lava Lamp is because I got one for Christmas, and I have wondered ever since how they are made, where they came from, and who invented them. Lava Lamps are good night lights, although you shouldn’t leave it on too long ~ it would over heat. Lava lamps are really fun to watch. I really like my lava lamp, and I bet that a lot of people have them.

Facts on Lava Lamps!  Lava Lamps have been around for decades! The theory behind them goes something like this: In the Lava Lamp you have two liquids witch are very that are Very close in density, and Insoluble in one another. Oil and water are the two liquids (that’s where the saying oil and water don’t mix comes from). Oil and water are very different. Water weighs more than oil. Then you apply heat to the bottom. In a lava lamp, the heat usually comes from a light bulb. The heavier liquid absorbs the heat, and as it heats up, it expands. As it expands it becomes less dense. Because the liquids have very similar densities, the formerly heavier liquid is suddenly lighter than the other liquid, so it rises. As it rises, it cools, making it denser and heavier, so it sinks. This all happens in slow motion because heat absorption and dissipation are fairly slow processes, and the density changes we are discussing here are very slight. People like to watch Lava Lamps because they are very neat.

Homemade Lava Lamps! Did you know that you can make homemade lava lamps? You can! Here are the directions: The Lava Lamp won’t look just like the stores, but it is still fun to make! This is what you need: Empty and clean 16 oz. plastic soda bottle Soda bottle cap Vegetable oil Food coloring A large Alka-Seltzer tablet Water Flashlight (optional)  Look on the next slide for the rest!

First you fill the bottle 3/4 full with vegetable oil First you fill the bottle 3/4 full with vegetable oil. Add water to the remainder of the bottle, almost to the top but without it overflowing. Add 10 drops of food coloring, to make the solution appear fairly dark. Cut the Alka-Seltzer into 8 pieces. Drop one of the tiny pieces into the oil and water mixture. The mixture will start to bubble. Wait until the bubbling stops and add another piece of Alka-Seltzer. Continue until there is no more Alka-Seltzer, and the bubbling has completely stopped. Screw on the cap of the soda bottle. Tip the bottle back and forth and watch the wave appear. The reason this homemade lava lamp works is because the tiny droplets of liquid join together to make one big lava like blob lava like blob.    Place a flashlight with a bright beam under the bottle to illuminate the bubbles for maximum. 

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