What is a lava lamp?

Lava Lamp is a “transparent electric

lamp containing a viscous liquid in
which a brightly colored waxy
substance is suspended, rising and
falling in irregular and constantly
changing shapes.”
 The Process
We started off with a plastic water bottle, added about 300 mL of Canola oil and 425
mL of rubbing alcohol. Initial temp for all = 18.7C

- 400 mL of boiling water to move the oil through the alcohol

- Not enough heat energy to heat up the oil, just heated the water and melted
the bottle
- Final temp = 100C
- Calcium chloride(11g) in oil and water(100mL)
- Not enough heat energy to heat up the oil, just heated the water
- Final temp = 28.5C
- Sodium acetate(11.1g) in oil and water(100mL)
- Not enough heat energy to heat up the oil, just heated the water
- Final temp = 22.7C
What was wrong with the experiments

- Canola oil and rubbing alcohol we used, too much liquid was
in the bottle. The chemical mixtures (CaCl2, sodium acetate,
and boiling water) did not heat up enough to move the oil
significantly.
- As we put in the seltzer tablets they would sink to the
bottom and couldn’t react with the oil.
First attempt at
a Lava Lamp

Isopropyl
Alcohol
Density: 0.79
g/ml

Oil
Density: 1.00
g/ml
What was successful
Added 350 mL of water, and 200 mL of baby oil

Put 1 drop of food coloring to change the water red in order to see the
reaction better

Dropped 6 seltzer tablets in the bottle

Observations:

-Bubbles -Foam -Separation of layers -Creation of a gas

The successful Lava Lamp

200 mL Baby oil

Density: 0.83 g/ml

350 mL Water
Density: 0.9982 g/ml
What is happening

-The alka-seltzers are reacting with the water to create C02 .

-The bubbles start once the alka-seltzers reach the water, the bubbles
were able to travel past the water into the baby oil. It was able to
move some water into the oil to create a successful reaction.
Calculations

Chemical Equation of alka-seltzer in water:

3NaHCO3 + C6H5O7 → C6H5Na3O7 +3Co2 + 3H2O

 Data Table Results
Initial Final Amount Q=Heat energy
Temperature Temperature

Boiling water 18.7C 100C 400 ml 135,000J

Sodium 18.7C 22.7C 11.1 grams 1,672J

acetate with 100 ml
of water

Calcium 18.7C 28.5C 11 gram with 4,096J

chloride 100 ml of
water

Alka-seltzers unknown unknown 6 tablets Can’t be calculated due

to lack of information
Thanks for listening!