My daughter recently placed in the top 10 for our state 4-H Public Speaking Contest (done online with Zoom). Her topic was on Elephant Toothpaste. She decided to share her project for other families to enjoy.
Kids love doing hands-on science experiments. It is not only fun, but kids will learn so much more when they are involved in doing it. So anytime your kids need something to do, try this fun science experiment I am sharing today. It is called Elephant Toothpaste. I know it seems too goofy to be science, but it is.
So gather the kids and let me share with you how to make Elephant Toothpaste.
How to Make Elephant Toothpaste
Elephant Toothpaste is a fun and simple science experiment that you can easily do at home. The experiment is called Elephant Toothpaste because the end result of the experiment looks like a giant stream of toothpaste coming out of the bottle that would only be the right size for an elephant. It does not make actual toothpaste.
Elephant Toothpaste only requires a few household items and is fun for children of all ages. You can customize the experiment by using different colors. Plus, you don’t need to measure the ingredients precisely for it to work. I have found several recipes on the internet. I’ll show what worked best for me.
The Ingredients to Make Elephant Toothpaste
- 1 cup Hydrogen Peroxide (found in the first aid section of your grocery store)
- 2 teaspoons or 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons warm water (really warm)
- 2 plastic bottles or any container with a small opening
- 1 teaspoon or a small squirt of dish soap
Equipment
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Measuring cup
- A small bowl
- Spoon
Optional Materials and Ingredients
- Food coloring
- Funnel
- Something to catch the mess from the bottles (I used a cookie sheet)
Directions
First, to make Elephant Toothpaste you will mix the warm water and yeast in the small bowl, and stir it. Make sure your water is very warm in order for this to work. Yeast needs really warm water to activate.
Once you have mixed the yeast and water, pour the yeast mixture into your first bottle, using the funnel or by hand, and set it aside (preferably on something to catch the mess).
Next, pour one cup of Hydrogen Peroxide into the second bottle and set that next to the first bottle.
After that, add the dish soap and the food coloring into the bottle with the Peroxide. The food coloring is, of course, optional, but I highly recommend it or the end result will be a dark tan.
Finally, pour the yeast mixture into the bottle of Peroxide and dish soap. Step back and watch the reaction.
The Science Behind Elephant Toothpaste
Let’s look at the science involved in this experiment. In this experiment, the yeast acts as a catalyst or a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction. It isn’t consumed by the reaction, but it separates the Oxygen in the Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). Because of the yeast, the oxygen leaves the peroxide so quickly that the dish soap foams up and a wave of bubbles comes shooting out of the bottle.
By this point, the reaction stops. The leftover foam is pretty much just soap and yeast so the mixture is safe to pour down the sink. Although it won’t make you sick, Elephant Toothpaste is not edible.
I got my recipe for the experiment on a website called ScienceBob.com. The rest of the information about the scientific terms, chemical compositions, and general facts I got off of Wikipedia and Science.com.
There you have it. Now you know the science behind Elephant Toothpaste. Your kids have learned a little chemistry in a super fun way. Gather up your supplies and give it a try when the kids need something fun to do.
If you are looking for other hands-on science activities you might also like:
