ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE EXPERIMENT SHEET
| Theme | Redox Reaction |
| Category | Experiments Exhibition, Chemistry Experiments |
| Main product | Potassium Iodide, Hydrogen Peroxide |
| Short description | In this experiment, we are going to obtain a dense foam that expands, coming from the oxygen from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. When this oxygen comes into contact with soap, it produces a dense foam that might look like elephant toothpaste, hence the name of this well-known experiment. |
WARNING: This experiment is not intended for children. It can be used as a demonstration, at a distance and without them getting close to any material. The hydrogen peroxide used is highly concentrated and extremely oxidising and dangerous for skin contact.
ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE
This experiment is so called because of the spongy mass that comes out of it, which is so large (for the small amount used) that it looks as if it were for an elephant.
MATERIALS FOR THE EXPERIMENT
The materials we are going to use for this experiment are:
- Oxygenated water 30%. This is a very high concentration. Also known as hydrogen peroxide. You can get it in pharmacies or special products from hairdressers. Please note that it is a highly oxidising material. See information about hydrogen peroxide.
- Potassium iodide
- Liquid dish soap
- Test tube in which to carry out the experiment
ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE EXPERIMENT STEP BY STEP
In this experiment we have used very small quantities of materials, and in spite of this we have achieved a very dense foam. By varying the quantities of material, adding kitchen colouring, etc., very colourful and fun effects can be achieved for the children.
Step by step
- We introduce 5ml of hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) at 30% - 110 volumes in a container.
- Add a few drops of soap (preferably concentrated, but any kitchen soap will do).
- We introduce 3 grams of potassium iodide and see how spontaneously and almost magically the foam is generated and starts to come out of the container.
VIDEO TUTORIAL OF THE EXPERIMENT
VIDEO EXPERIMENT AS A DEMONSTRATION
TECHNICAL EXPLANATION EXPERIMENT
The reaction that you can see in this experiment is a chemical decomposition reactionaccelerated through a catalyst.
Hydrogen peroxide is a compound that naturally decomposes into water and oxygen, according to the following reaction:
2 H2O2(aq) → 2 H2O(l) + O2(g)
This reaction, however, is slow, and to speed it up we use potassium iodide, KI, which, although it is not consumed in the reaction, will help to quickly decompose the hydrogen peroxide, creating almost instantaneously a large amount of oxygen, which when it comes into contact with soap forms a dense foam that expands.
The reaction we will therefore have is
H2O2(aq) + I-(aq) → OI-(aq) + H2O(l)
H2O2(aq) + OI-(aq) → I-(aq) + H2O(l) + O2(g)
As can be seen, the iodide ion that goes into the first reaction also comes out as a product in the second reaction, which means that it catalyses (speeds up) the reaction, but is not consumed in the process.
MORE EXPERIMENTS
In this section you can see more Chemistry Experiments
put what they work fornnnnnnnn.........................................
You amp
No, if you have doubts watch a video of rubius
I came for that Ajio Ajio
I do not
Does the experiment get hot? I mean, is the "foam" that comes out hot or not?
Hello, yes, yes, the reaction is strongly exothermic, although it does not burn. Regards 🙂
yes, I tried it and it burns my hand
IF IT BURNS GREETINGS
Hello, yes the foam that comes out is hot and the bottle is therefore also hot at the time of reaction.
Nu, it comes out at room temperature
What is done with the waste?
Hello excuse me, I'm from Mexico, maybe it's hard for me to get the materials, what can I do?
Hello, let's see if any reader in Mexico knows where to get them :). I could tell you but in Spain...
Best regards!
hola soy Ariana me llamo ariana si sos de mexico claro que tendra los ingredientes ovbio
hydrogen peroxide cannot harm human skin?
Hi, yes, and more this one is of high concentration. That's why it's put up as an exhibition experiment, not to be done by children 🙂
What a donkey you are, hydrogen peroxide is to clean our skin, that is to say, when we have a wound we clean it with hydrogen peroxide.
30% or 110 vol. hydrogen peroxide is harmful to the skin, because it is different from 10% 🙂
AND IT DOES NOT BURN
The hydrogen peroxide used in this experiment is 30 vol. and the one we use to disinfect wounds is 3 vol., i.e. the former is 10 times more powerful as an oxidising agent than the latter, which is why the former burns and the latter does not.
It does not damage it
What are the steps of the scientific method
the question is what is it for?
Where can I get iodide salt?
?????
Hello, I want to know who invented the elephant toothpaste experiment.
THIS EXPERIMENT IS OF SOME BENEFIT
I'm sorry, but this experiment would harm my little son because I want him to exhibit at the science fair that my 5 year old son will be having at his school.
It is not the most suitable for a child to do as the products involved are very reactive and oxidising.
Greetings!
It's hard to do at school
I would kill them all
😈
But I've already done it haha
And how is it cleaned?
Can it be done with normal hydrogen peroxide?
Hello, it should be possible to do it, but it will be much less attractive as the hydrogen peroxide content in the domestic one is 3-9%, while in the one we have used it is 30%.
thank you, haha, xd uwu
hello, i want it for my CTA fair. how can i clean it afterwards? i'm from 1st year of porceaca sec.
HOW TO CLEAN !!!!!!!
Why is it a redox reaction if there is no exchange of electrons, there is a decomposition?