Get Messy with Chemistry

soap bubbles

   

Head outside and get messy with chemistry! Try erupting soda, giant bubbles, and more.

See what happens when you drop Mentos into a bottle of diet soda!

Youtube ID: h_2osOb2SMU

Blast off! Create a rocket using an Alka–Seltzer tablet and a film canister.

Youtube ID: nYdYXUB573U

Stir up some soapy science with giant bubbles, dry ice crystal ball bubbles, square bubbles, and more.

  • Milli's Magnificent Bubble Solution (PDF)
    Sugar? Glycerin? Plain dishwashing soap? Explore which bubble solution makes the longest-lasting bubbles.
  • Chemical Mystery #17: Bubble Buster!
    Solve the soapy mystery. Why do stable bubbles form in one glass, but not the other?
  • Record-Breaking Giant Soap Bubble
    Making world record bubbles takes some serious science. 
  • Dry Ice Crystal Ball Bubble
    What prediction do you see in this crystal ball? That you’ll love this soap film filled with carbon dioxide gas and water vapor!
  • Bubbles
    A big collection of bubble information, even a “bubbliography.”
  • The Science of Soap Bubbles (PDF)
    Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere! Figure out why they form spheres, bounce a bubble, and more.
  • Bubble Suspension
    Start with an empty aquarium. Now give your freshly blown bubbles a rest on an invisible cushion.
  • Freezing Bubbles
    Take a look at these cool (literally) photos of frozen bubbles. Wait for your own arctic blast to try it yourself.
  • Best Bubbles
    Come for the candy corn in space video, stay for the related bubble experiment.

Youtube ID: 12UIOlzai5M

Use the classic Elephant’s Toothpaste demonstration in new ways.

Youtube ID: PX7TIqAJRSY

Mix up a batch (or two, or three) of ooey, gooey oobleck or slime!

Youtube ID: RkLn2gR7SyE

Not messy enough yet? Here's a few more things to try.

  • Soap Boat 2.0
    It’s an upgrade to the detergent boat. This one keeps going and going and going…
  • Naked Egg
    How do you get an egg to shed its shell? What does it look and feel like when it’s gone?
  • Bubble Bomb
    Mix up these easy-to-find kitchen chemicals and make a freezer bag explode.
  • Disappearing Ink
    Now you see it, now you don’t. Learn about the chemistry behind disappearing ink and make your own.
  • Detergent Powered Boat (PDF)
    This small paper boat doesn’t need a motor—just a drop of detergent and surface tension. Make one!

Youtube ID: SrON0nEEWmo

(all sites accessed July 2020)