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Baking Soda Color Fun Science Projects

Many fun science projects utilize baking powder. Scientific experiments that involve both baking soda and color can be double the fun, as the power packed in baking soda combines with the vibrancy of color to create astounding visual results. Some baking soda color fun science projects are quite simple and require just a few basic ingredients that are available in most households.

Volcano
- Re-use clear pop bottles to make a volcano project.
  
  Place a clear, slim-necked bottle, such as a pop bottle, in the center of a baking pan or cookie sheet. Pour baking soda into the bottle until it covers the bottom. In a cup, mix 1/4 cup of vinegar, a few drops of food coloring and two large drops of liquid dishwashing soap. Pour the mixture into the bottle with a funnel. Watch the volcano erupt. The baking soda and vinegar create a chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide gas, which expands and rushes upward.
Bouyancy Chemistry Experiment
- A reaction from combining vinegar and baking soda creates carbon dioxide gas.
  
  Fill a pitcher or other clear plastic or glass container with three parts water and one part vinegar. Leave room at the top. Very slowly, add 1 tsp. of baking soda. When the bubbles settle, add a second tsp. of baking soda. When the bubbles settle again, add a few drops of food coloring. The liquid will move and quickly mix in the color. Then drop in small items such as raisins, rice and bits of dry spaghetti. Carbon dioxide bubbles attach to the sunken objects and cause them to rise to the surface and release the gas, then sink again. Add another tsp. of baking soda if movement slows.
Popcorn Dance
- Replace popcorn with dried beans, rice or even paper clips.
  
  Carbon dioxide can make popcorn kernels "dance." Put water into a small glass jar until the jar is 3/4 full, then stir in 2 tbsp. of baking soda. Mix until thoroughly blended. Add one or two drops of food coloring and 10 to 15 popcorn kernels. Then mix in a few drops of vinegar. After a minute or two, the kernels will start to move as carbon dioxide bubbles gather. In the short jar, the kernels will quickly rise and fall as the bubbles form and dissipate.
Acids and Bases
- Test red cabbage with a variety of household substances.
  
  Cut a red cabbage into slices and place in a pot. Cover with water and boil for half an hour. Strain the blue-violet liquid and pour into a container (save the cabbage slices). Pour drops onto a white surface and see how the color changes when mixed with baking soda (a base) or vinegar (an acid). The color will change to green with baking soda and red with vinegar. Red cabbage juice has a natural pH indicator that changes colors according to the acidity of what it is mixed with.

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