How can I make an explosive reaction?

Experiment 1- Baking soda and vinegar!

You will need: 

• Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda
• Vinegar
• A tray and glass

Instructions:

1. Place the glass on a tray and fill it with the baking soda
2. Add plenty of vinegar to the mixture
3. Try this again with food colouring and make a volcano

Next steps: 

Which combination of vinegar and baking soda works best and why? How can you make the biggest explosion? What might a volcano on an alien planet look like and how could you make one?

 

Experiment 2- Mentos and coke!

You will need:

• Coke (or any fizzy drink)
• Mentos
• A place that you don’t mind getting too messy

Instructions:

1. Carefully position your coke bottle somewhere safe#
2. Add the mentos
3. Run away!

Next steps:

Which fizzy drink makes the biggest explosion? How does the gas escape so quickly? What happens if you add more or fewer mentos? How can you make the biggest explosion?