Homemade Lava Lamp

Materials

• Clear plastic bottle, cleaned and label removed (our is a 500-milliliter bottle)
• Vegetable oil
• Water

• Food coloring
• Pie pan
• Effervescent antacid tablets such as Alka-Seltzer

 

Instructions

1. Fill the bottle just over halfway with the oil, then add water, to an inch from the top. Add 10 drops of food coloring.
2. Place the bottle on the pie pan to catch potential spills. Cut or break an antacid tablet in quarters and drop one quarter into the bottle. When the bubbling slows, add another quarter-tablet to get it started again. (Adding too many tablets at once will cloud the oil with bubbles.)
3. To store the lamp, let the bottle sit until all the bubbles have completely dispersed. This prevents the buildup of gas in the bottle. Cap it and put it in a safe place to prevent spills.