Monday, 14 July 2008

Blow up your own volcano!

Simulate your own volcanic eruption by using either of the two methods explained in this activity - soapsuds volcano and coke volcano. Before either of the demonstrations, try asking the pupils what they think causes the lava to come out of a volcano.
The nature of a volcanic eruption depends on many factors, including the type of underlying magma, its temperature, the quantities of gases dissolved under pressure, the thickness of the overlying rock and its extent of fracture. A small range of these variables may be seen in these activities.
Click HERE to view a short video clip of the soapsuds volcano.
Please let us have your comments and/or suggestions about these exciting activities.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very nice!
We tried with the classic vinegar and soda, with the addition of a bit of soap and red food color.
http://www.ludotecascientifica.it/geolab_files/scuola_files/eruzione.htm

The important point to stress in these 'simulations' is the role of the gases in a volcanic eruption. In fact, the increasing pressure of them and the increasing volume of the magma are the main causes of the volcanic eruptions.