Conservation of Matter Activity for Kids

How It Works

Initially, the colored water sits at the bottom of the bottle because it is more dense than oil. When the fizzy tablets are dropped in, they mix with the water and a chemical reaction happens producing carbon dioxide gas. The gas rises up and drags droplets of colored water with it. Eventually, the droplets fall back down. This happens over and over, making it look like a lava lamp. It is important to remember that the tablets don't disappear, they simply change form - they make gas which is trapped in the balloon and they also dissolve into the water. We can't see the tablets when it is done but the weight is the same thanks to the law of conservation of matter!