Heat and toothpaste. They don't seem like two things you'd ever put together. But, someone thought it was a good idea (as you'll see in the first experiment below.) Both heat and toothpaste make for cheap (and fun) ingredients in science experiments, together and on their own.
Keep reading to see a few ideas for using heat and toothpaste in different science activities the whole family will enjoy.
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1. Heating toothpaste
If you've ever wondered what toothpaste does when it gets hot: not much. The plastic of the bottle melts quickly, but the toothpaste just burns. When you squirt it onto the pan, the toothpaste looks neat, and it mainly retains its shape. It's may be a bit surprising that the heat does little to the formula since water breaks the toothpaste down when used on for brushing.
If you've ever wondered what toothpaste does when it gets hot: not much. The plastic of the bottle melts quickly, but the toothpaste just burns. When you squirt it onto the pan, the toothpaste looks neat, and it mainly retains its shape. It's may be a bit surprising that the heat does little to the formula since water breaks the toothpaste down when used on for brushing.
2. Monster toothpaste
This doesn't contain any toothpaste, but the experiment does show what happens when you mix hydrogen peroxide and yeast. It's a similar reaction you get when your toothpaste breaks down into bubbles while you clean your tooth (just on a more impressive scale). In this experiment, the yeast speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide particles creating a massive foaming reaction.
This doesn't contain any toothpaste, but the experiment does show what happens when you mix hydrogen peroxide and yeast. It's a similar reaction you get when your toothpaste breaks down into bubbles while you clean your tooth (just on a more impressive scale). In this experiment, the yeast speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide particles creating a massive foaming reaction.
3. Toothpaste and egg
If you've ever wondered what happens when you keep sugary drinks on your teeth, and whether purchasing expensive toothpaste is worth the extra few dollars, check out this experiment. Eggshells contain calcium (like your teeth), so the drinks and toothpaste have a similar reaction as to what happens in your mouth.
If you've ever wondered what happens when you keep sugary drinks on your teeth, and whether purchasing expensive toothpaste is worth the extra few dollars, check out this experiment. Eggshells contain calcium (like your teeth), so the drinks and toothpaste have a similar reaction as to what happens in your mouth.
4. A balloon and a candle
Balloons explode when air penetrates the rubber material. Getting a balloon too close to heat causes microscopic tears in the rubber causing it to burst. When you add water to the balloon, the water absorbs the heat from the candle and diverts the heat from the balloon so that it doesn't have time to cause the balloon to break.
Balloons explode when air penetrates the rubber material. Getting a balloon too close to heat causes microscopic tears in the rubber causing it to burst. When you add water to the balloon, the water absorbs the heat from the candle and diverts the heat from the balloon so that it doesn't have time to cause the balloon to break.
5. How heat affects liquid
When heat is added to your oil, the water inside the food coloring gets warm. As the water molecules heat up, they move faster than the oil molecules surrounding them, which causes the colors to bounce around.
When heat is added to your oil, the water inside the food coloring gets warm. As the water molecules heat up, they move faster than the oil molecules surrounding them, which causes the colors to bounce around.
6. Create a pizza box solar oven
This fun project is a great way to show how it's possible to trap heat from the sun using reflection and absorption. The tin foil reflects the heat into the box. The black paper absorbs the heat, and the plastic wrap traps the heat so that it can't escape. The heat in the box gets up to 200 degrees in just 30 minutes.
This fun project is a great way to show how it's possible to trap heat from the sun using reflection and absorption. The tin foil reflects the heat into the box. The black paper absorbs the heat, and the plastic wrap traps the heat so that it can't escape. The heat in the box gets up to 200 degrees in just 30 minutes.
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