A volcano is a fun science project, especially for children. You can build one easily if you need an idea for a school project! Make modeling clay yourself using objects that we all have at home and give it the shape of a volcano. Afterwards, color the structure and make it more realistic, finally add the ingredients for a rash!
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Making the Modeling Paste
Step 1. Mix 360g of flour, 250g of salt, 250ml of water and 2 tablespoons of oil
Measure each ingredient, then pour them all into a large bowl. Stir them with a fork or spoon.
The paste will become difficult to mix after a few minutes, so ask one of your parents, a teacher, or your older brother for help
Step 2. Work the salt dough with your hands until it becomes a ball
When it gets too hard and you can't mix it with a fork or spoon anymore, start using your hands. Squeeze it and squeeze it as if it were clay, so that the ingredients are well combined. Turn it into a big ball.
- Make sure you work the dough on a sturdy surface, such as a table or counter.
- It may be helpful to roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
Step 3. Add 1 tablespoon of water if the modeling clay does not stay compact
If the dough crumbles as you work it, it means it's too dry. Then add 1 tablespoon of water, then use your hands to work it again and mix the ingredients.
- If the pasta is still dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it becomes compact.
- Be careful not to add too much water or the salt dough could become sticky!
Step 4. Add 2 tablespoons of flour if the modeling dough is too sticky
If you can't get the dough out of your hands, it's too sticky. Pour 2 tablespoons of flour into the bowl, then use your hands to mix it into the dough.
- If the salt dough still feels sticky, add another tablespoon of flour and knead it. Keep doing this until it becomes smooth and no longer sticks to your hands.
- Do not add too much flour or the dough will not stay compact.
Part 2 of 4: Shaping the Volcano
Step 1. Squeeze the ball into the center of a tray or box lid
The volcano will get dirty everywhere at the time of the eruption. Place it on a high-sided tray or box lid and push down to secure it. This way, it will get less dirty.
- If you are using a tray, be sure to ask your parents or guardian for permission. Avoid using a tray you care about, as the volcano will ruin it.
- A cardboard box lid will work too, but be sure to ask your parents or guardian for permission first!
Step 2. Use your hands to turn the salt dough into a mountain
Push the sides of the ball with your hands to shape it. Try to make a structure similar to a mountain.
- Ask for help from an adult or your older brother if the salt dough is too hard to shape!
- There are various types of volcanoes. Some have steeper walls than others and some have a flat top. You can shape the salt dough to make a specific type of volcano, but remember that many don't have a perfectly homogeneous surface and aren't quite flat.
Step 3. Push a small glass cup or jar into the center of the salt dough mountain
After you have shaped the dough like a mountain, take a small glass cup or jar (about 200-300ml) and push it down to the center of the mountain. Keep pushing until the edges of the glass reach the level of the mountain top. The glass will become the mouth of the volcano.
- This step can be difficult. Get help from your parents or someone with strong hands to put the glass into the salt dough.
- Make sure you ask your parents or guardian for permission before using a glass or jar! The item you choose will become part of the volcano and you will not be able to reuse it in the kitchen.
Step 4. Shape the salt dough around the glass to make the structure look like a volcano
Once the glass or jar is in place, start modeling the dough in the shape of a volcano. Use your hands to push it around the glass.
- Remember that volcanoes are not perfectly smooth! On the outside, they are rocky and jagged, so it's not a problem if your pasta has some irregularities.
- Remember that if you are interested in realism, you can model a particular type of volcano or make a classic one. Search the internet for images of volcanoes to find a model to follow for your project.
Part 3 of 4: Painting the Volcano
Step 1. Wait for the salt paste to dry completely before painting the volcano
The structure will need to dry for at least 8 hours, so let it sit overnight. Place the volcano out of reach of pets, for example on a high shelf or in a room they can't reach.
- The salt dough will become hard on contact when it dries. After 8 hours, check what state it is in by pressing it with your fingers.
- If the salt dough is still soft after 8 hours, let it dry for another couple of hours.
Step 2. Apply a coat of brown or black paint to the outside of the volcano
Acrylic paints are best for painting a volcano. Choose a color that will make the project more realistic. Try using brown, normal or dark, or black. Using a large brush, paint the flanks of the volcano and cover them completely with paint.
- Make sure you spread out a few sheets of old newspapers or paper towels before you start painting to protect your work surface.
- You could also wear an old shirt.
Step 3. Paint the inside of the volcano orange or yellow if you want an even more realistic effect
If you want to give the impression that the inside of the volcano contains lava, you can also paint the glass in the center. Use a medium-sized brush to apply the color.
- Choose a deep orange color to create a strong contrast to the brown or black paint of the volcano's exterior.
- You can make the orange paint by mixing red and yellow in equal parts.
Step 4. Let the color dry overnight before creating a rash
Before starting the experiment, you should wait for the paint inside and outside the volcano to dry completely. To be safe, wait a whole night. If not, the paint may run off when you add the ingredients needed for the rash.
- Place the volcano out of the reach of pets, for example on a high shelf or in a closed room.
- You can touch the paint to check if it is dry. It will be sticky if fresh and smooth if dry.
Part 4 of 4: Achieving the Eruption
Step 1. Put 2 tablespoons of baking soda inside the volcano
Measure 2 tablespoons of baking soda and pour them into the glass in the center of the volcano. Make sure the inside of the glass is completely dry when you do this. Otherwise, the humidity could cause a premature eruption of the volcano.
- Baking soda is commonly found in the home, so you probably have some on hand.
- Get permission from one of your parents, or a guardian, before using baking soda.
Step 2. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of liquid soap on the baking soda
The soap will make the rash particularly frothy. You only need one teaspoon to get this effect.
- All kinds of dish soap will do! Use what you find in the kitchen.
- Before adding the soap, be sure to ask your parents or guardian for permission!
Step 3. Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to the other ingredients
The dye will make the foam look more like lava. Add a few drops of yellow and red dye to get a glowing lava flow.
If you have orange food coloring, you can use it alongside the others to color the lava
Step 4. Pour in 30ml of vinegar to make the volcano erupt
Vinegar is the last ingredient and as soon as you add it, the volcano will erupt! Pour it when you want to make the explosion.
- Avoid adding vinegar until you are ready for the rash! You can leave the other ingredients in the volcano for as long as you like, until you have finished all the preparations.
- If there is any baking soda left in the bottom of the glass, you can add more vinegar.
Advice
If you'd rather not make the salt dough for the volcano yourself, you can pour the ingredients needed for the eruption into an empty 2-liter plastic bottle. The ingredients will cause a volcanic eruption from the mouth of the bottle
Warnings
- Ask your parents or guardians for permission to carry out this experiment. You may also need an adult's help to complete some parts of the project.
- Avoid looking inside the volcano as it erupts!
- Walk away after pouring in the vinegar!
