Volcano

Posted on April 6, 2015 in Projects & Articles

Working Volcano Exhibit

See a short movie of this volcano model exploding!

What You Need:

• Plywood square for base approx. 18″X18″
• Metal screening new or used to mold shape.
• Newspaper strips and bits.
• Flour & water (newspaper, H2O, newspaper for paper mach’e.
• Water tight container for crater. Tall plastic cup.
• Spray Paint to give volcano realism (gray pebble finish, brown, red, orange…suggested colors)
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Red food coloring
• Display Back Cardboard for your facts sheets, etc.
• Paper toweling and small garbage bag for cleanups.
• Tub, pan or plastice box and plastic sheeting to place beneath your exhibit to catch “lava” overflow.

What you do:

• Shape screening into a cone shape and staple onto plywood leaving center hole for cup/crater.
• Insert cup/crater.
• Make paper mach’e “glue” with flour and water. Squishy & fun!
• Cover with paper mach’e. 3 layers drying between layers.
• When dry using spray paints decorate volcano.
• When paint is dry you’re nearly ready to explode!

To Erupt/Explode:

• In a container mix about 10 drops of red food dye into about a pint of vinegar. This should be good for several “explosions”.
• Place about a half cup of baking soda into crater
• When you’re ready to amaze people pour about 2 tablespoons of your red vinegar into the crater….Voom!!

Paper towels will be handy to have on hand for clean-ups.

Simpler Version:

If you want to go simpler still you can just use a container like a large pop bottle instead of a model volcano.
Then use same directions as for the above model volcano – In a jug or large jar (with lid for transport), mix about 10 drops of red food dye into about a pint of vinegar. This should be good for several volcanic “eruptions”.

Place + or – half cup of baking soda into your volcano container – the pop bottle

Pour about 2 tablespoons of your red vinegar into the container

Important: Make sure to have a large catch container like a deep tray or large pan underneath your volcano container -pop bottle, and paper towels on hand for clean-ups.

Note: You might want to practice your volcano eruptions at home, maybe outside, to find out beforehand how messy this might be and what size catch-container you will need to use.
Also be sure to create a poster with your exhibit’s information. To know more about setting up for a science fair and what to write on your poster and illustrations to include go to the science fair and site visitor ideas pages.

Volcano science fair exhibit by 1st grader Tegan B of Silver Beach!”>