Description
In this lab, students will try to make the best elephant toothpaste. They will test different variables to try to make a reaction that shoots up fast and produces lots of bubbles. You may want to introduce it showing a video of a particularly exciting reaction. I limit students to regular 3% hydrogen peroxide for safety reasons, so they won't have anything super dramatic, but they can produce a good result with the right combination of factors, and it is a fun challenge. It can be messy, I recommend having them put the graduated cylinders in the sink. This is a nice lab to apply concepts about factors that effect chemical reactions. I include a rubric and description of a short write up you can use, or you can just use the lab direction part on the first 2 pages.
Highlights
Description
In this lab, students will try to make the best elephant toothpaste. They will test different variables to try to make a reaction that shoots up fast and produces lots of bubbles. You may want to introduce it showing a video of a particularly exciting reaction. I limit students to regular 3% hydrogen peroxide for safety reasons, so they won't have anything super dramatic, but they can produce a good result with the right combination of factors, and it is a fun challenge. It can be messy, I recommend having them put the graduated cylinders in the sink. This is a nice lab to apply concepts about factors that effect chemical reactions. I include a rubric and description of a short write up you can use, or you can just use the lab direction part on the first 2 pages.

