Sprouting Scientist: Fizzing Lemonade
This is a super fun activity for all ages and this is one you can drink! Also if you wanted to set your lemonade stand apart from any other, this is the way to do it!
Supplies (for 1 person):
- 1 glass or cup
- 1 lemon
- Water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Sugar (optional)
Background
When the lemon (an acid) and backing soda (a base) combine, it forms a gas called carbon dioxide. This is the gas that you breathe out and it is the same gas that makes your soda fizzy.
Safety
This activity is a safe experiment for children to partake in, but an adult should be present to help young children. Goggles are suggested due to the squeezing of the lemon in order to prevent lemon juice from getting into the eye. If lemon juice does get into the eye, carefully rinse with water.
Instructions
1. Squeeze as much of the lemon into the glass as possible
2. Pour an equal amount of water as there is lemon juice into the glass
3. Add the 1 tsp of baking soda to the glass
4. Taste the now fizzy lemonade
5. Sweeten to taste with sugar (optional)
6. Finish drinking your fizzy lemonade
Questions to Consider
After completing this activity, do you think you could replace the lemon with an orange, a grapefruit, or a lime? Do you think it could work with the juice of other non citrus fruits like apples or grapes? Try to experiment with different fruits and see if the reaction changes.
Table For Using Various Fruits
Fruit
| Bubbles (Yes or No)
| Other Observations
|
|---|---|---|
Lemon
| ||
Orange
| ||
LIme
| ||
Grapefruit
| ||
Fruit 1 (Optional)
| ||
Fruit 2 (Optional)
|
© 2018 Paige Elizabeth
