How to Make an Erupting Volcano Model

Make an erupting volcano for fun or a class project. Follow simple directions using common household ingredients to create a realistic eruption model. Discover several methods for creating your model. Compare methods to see which creates the most realistic model or largest eruption. Easily create any of these erupting volcano models in a relatively short matter of time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 9 by 12 or larger disposable aluminum baking pan or similar container Modeling clay, salt dough, sand or spray sealant foam Paint ½ liter water or soda bottle Water Yeast and hydrogen peroxide OR vinegar and baking soda OR Mentos candy and diet soda Dish washing liquid Red or orange food color

1. Create the cone, or mountain, of your erupting volcano. Mound modeling clay, salt dough or wet sand around the ½ liter bottle in the shape of a mountain. Make salt dough by mixing six cups flour, two cups salt, four tablespoons of oil and two cups of water to form dough. After forming your mountain, let it dry overnight. Alternatively, use spray marine and auto sealant foam. Spray around the ½ liter bottle in layers to create a mountain. Once dry (approximately 30 minutes) and firm, carve it as desired into mountain shape. Paint and decorate mountain as desired.

2. Choose your eruption method from several common chemical reactions that simulate the flow of lava from the cone. Gas created in the mixtures resembles the gas created in magma by the extreme heat of a volcano that eventually leads to its eruption. As the gas expands in your erupting volcano, the liquid in these chemical reactions rises up and over the chamber, creating what resembles lava.

3. Create a baking soda and vinegar eruption by filling bottle chamber half way with warm water. Add ½ cup vinegar and three drops to each dish liquid and red or orange food coloring to the water. Wrap two teaspoons baking soda in a small piece of tissue paper then drop it into chamber full of liquid. As the tissue dissolves, eruption occurs as carbon dioxide gas forces the liquid out of the chamber.

4. Make a hydrogen peroxide and yeast eruption by pouring ½ cup hydrogen peroxide into the chamber. Pour in ½ tablespoon dry yeast and stir quickly with a straw or similarly long object. Eruption occurs as the yeast reacts with the hydrogen peroxide producing carbon dioxide gas that expands and forces the liquid out of the chamber.

5. Use Mentos and diet soda. Pour diet soda into the chamber. Create a tube from an index card or similar material, just big enough to fit in the "mouth" of your bottle chamber. Remove tube from mouth of chamber and fill with package of Mentos candy. Invert paper tube over index card then place index card over bottle chamber opening. When ready for eruption, remove card and drop candy into the soda. The carbon dioxide gas that forms forces the diet coke up and out of the chamber creating a strong eruption effect.