Magical Foaming Soap! Super Fun & Simple Science Experiment!

Magical Foaming Soap! Super Fun & Simple Science Experiment!

 

Here is a super fun and super easy science experiment you can for very cheap! This can be done with kids at any age! I have an 8 and 9 year old and so the science lessons can be adjusted to the appropriate age. You can make it just simple or go in depth and have them write in a journal about what is going on scientifically, however in depth you want to take these it will still result in the same ending which is FUN!

My kids write what they are going to do, a hypothesis of what they think will happen, the process of what happened and a conclusion of the overall experiment and what went on with it. You can even get the crayons out and have them draw what happened and what it looked like to include some art as well. I like to take pictures and then print them out and the kids can paste those pictures into their journal so they don’t forget what the experiment looked like.

 

soap

Magical Foaming Soap

What you need:

Paper plate or microwavable plate will work (I used two paper plates…one for each child)
½ Bar of Ivory Soap (1/2 bar of soap for each child)

Instructions:

  • Cut the bar of soap in half and place one half on the plate –
  • Put into microwave and heat for 45 seconds – you will see the reaction of molecules heating up and becoming active and therefore expanding! (Depending on your microwave 45 seconds or even up to a minute and a half will be great)
  • Pull the plate out and let cool for a minute. You can then touch, smell and observe the foam soap you just created! See how it expanded about 6 or 7 times its size?!
  • Afterwards you can then have fun with the soap in the bathtub afterwards!

 

What really is going on – Physical Change – Ivory soap happens to be a soap that is very light and floats in water compared to other soaps because there are a lot of air molecules in it. It is sort of a “whipped” bar of soap. Light and Airy. No this experiment will not harm your microwave so don’t worry. By doing this experiment, you are heating both the water and also the air that is inside the soap, when heated it makes the water vaporize and the air expand. The expanding gases push and dance in all directions, causing it to expand and transform into foam!

 

Enjoy!

 

49 thoughts on “Magical Foaming Soap! Super Fun & Simple Science Experiment!

  1. My mother did a lot of projects like this when I was a child, but I never herd of this! I am sure my niece would get a kick out of learning the why behind it, and playing in the foam!

  2. I have been wanting to do this for so long! I mean…my KIDS have been wanting to. Yup, I would not have fun playing with that at all 🙂

  3. how cool! I am about to go blow my three year olds mine with this! No…to just purchase some bars of soap because i doubt this would work with ax body wash. hahah Great post!

  4. Oh my goodness, that is one of the coolest science experiments I’ve seen yet! My boys are crazy about science. I need to do this with them! So much fun! Oh..yeah..and educational too. But FUN!

  5. I love when I can add something to our science project board on Pinterest. we prepare all year long for science fairs. I have every age kid in my family, so we need every advantage we can get. This is an awesome safe experiment. Makes me feel really good about Ivory soap too!

  6. I have seen this experiment a few times but I have never done it with my son. I LOVE your idea of using it in the bath afterwards. . . what a great way to make a child take a bath when they are being stubborn!

  7. My kids love doing this experiment. And i love it too since it makes them eager to take a bath & they wash up great! LOL

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