What Makes a Lava Lamp Work?

Popular since the 1960s and synonymous with the hippie era, lava lamps have enjoyed a resurgence since the 1990s.

Components

A metal base contains a halogen lamp or incandescent bulb. A glass bottle contains water and a wax-based compound that varies depending on the individual lamp and the manufacturer.

Ascent

The bulb slowly warms the bottle. The wax is more dense than water at room temperature but expands more than the water as it heats. Because it is less dense, it starts to float upwards.

Descent

At the top of the lamp, the wax cools and starts to sink again. The process is repeated until the lamp is turned off.

Glitter Variant

Some lamps contain glitter instead of wax. Their motion is caused by convection as the water heats up, rather than a change in density. They take much less time to get going.

Fun Fact

Englishman Edward Craven Walker invented the original "astro lamp" in 1963. In 1965, Adolph Wertheimer and Hy Spector saw the lamp at a trade show, bought American rights, and renamed it the Lava Lite.

References

• Lava Lamp History
• Hippie Light
• Oozing Goo