🌋 Baking-soda volcano: virtual chemistry experiment
Vinegar + bicarbonate + washing-up liquid produce a frothy eruption.
▶ Launch this experiment freeRuns in your browser on any phone, tablet or laptop. No sign-up, no install, no chemicals needed.
What you'll do
- Add 50 mL of vinegar (ethanoic acid)
- Test the gas with a burning splint (it goes out)
The chemistry behind it
NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH → CH₃COONa + H₂O + CO₂. The detergent traps the CO₂ as foam.
Why do this experiment virtually?
Many school labs can't run this experiment safely or don't have the chemicals. In Faradium you set it up in seconds, repeat it as often as you like, change the amounts and see the real result: colours, gases, precipitates and temperature changes. The lab notebook records every observation with the balanced equation for your write-up.
Frequently asked questions
How do you do the baking-soda volcano experiment?
1. Add 50 mL of vinegar (ethanoic acid) 2. Test the gas with a burning splint (it goes out) You can run every step free in the Faradium virtual chemistry lab.
What is the chemistry behind baking-soda volcano?
NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH → CH₃COONa + H₂O + CO₂. The detergent traps the CO₂ as foam.
Can I do the baking-soda volcano experiment online for free?
Yes. Faradium sets up the bench for you and ticks off each step as you complete it. It runs in any browser on a phone, tablet or laptop with no sign-up and no chemicals.
Chemistry in this experiment
Elements involved: Hydrogen (H), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Sodium (Na).
More experiments to try
🧪 Acid–base titration
Find the end-point of HCl vs NaOH with phenolphthalein and plot the titration curve.
✨ Golden rain
Make lead(II) iodide, dissolve it hot, then watch glittering golden crystals form on cooling.
🐘 Elephant's toothpaste
Iodide-catalysed decomposition of 30% hydrogen peroxide produces a towering, steaming foam.
🔥 Preparing oxygen
Heat potassium permanganate, pipe the gas into a gas jar and confirm with a glowing splint.