Halloween Science: Oozing Pumpkins
This is a fun and easy science activity to utilize the properties of dry ice and some simple kitchen ingredients to produce the most amazing oozing pumpkins.
You will need:
Carved pumpkin, small dish, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide, can be purchased at Meijer), warm water, bubble solution, food coloring, vinegar, baking soda, water
Now try this:
For Oozing pumpkins:
1. Insert warm bubble solution in small dish into the center of the carved pumpkin
2. Place a few pieces of dry ice into the water and place the top onto the pumpkin. Observe the "oozing" pumpkin.
3. For a unique affect, use food coloring in the bubble solution.
For Oozing pumpkins:
1. Insert warm bubble solution and vinegar in small dish into the center of the carved pumpkin
2. Place a scoop of vinegar into the vinegar and place the top onto the pumpkin. Observe the "oozing" pumpkin.
3. For a unique affect, use food coloring in the bubble solution.
Explanation:
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide that is at a temperature of -78.5OC (109.3OF). When the temperature increases, the solid carbon dioxide does a phase change to a gas. This is a unique substance that does a phase change from a solid to a gas without going through it's liquid phase. This process is called sublimation. When placed in water solid carbon dioxide takes water into the atmosphere as water vapor, this is what makes the pumpkin look like it is smoking. The gas also gets trapped into a bubble when placed in bubble solution. The carbon dioxide-water vapor mixture is also heavier than air so it falls to the ground when formed.
Courtesy: www.chemicalkim.com