Does anyone know how to help, my daughter wants to make a working volcano & i have no idea?

Question

My daughter has two choices for a geography homework.
1. Answer a question sheet
or
2. Make a working volcano
Guess which one shes decided to do? A number of her friends have brought one from somewhere and although i really want to ask them where they got it i do feel that it's cheating and would love to help her make one from scratch. I've just got no idea where to start and so far i've not managed to find a web site that helps. So if there's any science whizzs amongst you please help!

Answer 1

Sorry I'm the kind of teacher you parents despair of because thats the kind of home work I'd set. My class have to design and make a thermal insulator to stop ice melting this week!!!

Try this link it might help
http://www.volcanolive.com/model.html

Answer 2

I did this option as a child and got distinctions. every child I have subsequently helped do the same thing has also wowed all their class and got excellent marks.

You need.
An ordinary sized jam jar
a piece of board to sit the jam jar on.
Old newspapers
Some wallpaper paste or PVA glue (wood glue)
Some paint
Red food colouring or red poweder paint
Bicarbonate of soda
Vinegar.

- Sit the jam jar on the board and fix the jar by papier macheing the jar and the board, so that you are building up a volcano shaped form. - (see instructions for good basic papier mache below)

- When the structure is built..ie, it is a volcano shape, with the opening of the jam jar revealed, - paint the structure in volcano type colours.

- It should take no more than a day to totally dry (best to keep near to a radiator or in an airing cupboard.)

- depending on the size of the jar, place about 4-5 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into the opening of the volcano, and add a little red food colouring, or red poweder paint.

- Gradually add little drips of vinegar to the bicarbonate.. (depending on the size of the jar you will need to add more bicarbonate and more vinegar for the best effect. ) - and the volcanoe, erupts...

- To repeat the experiment, be sure to clean the jamjar first, then add more bicarbonate and more vinegar.

Your daughter should really enjoy building the model

PAPIER MACHE

Easy way: - rip up an old newspaper into small pieces and soak in a basin of warm water.. add a quantity of wallpaper paste to this, so that the water becomes gelatinous.. put in food processor so that it becomes a mush..(the hot water helps soften the paper.) - Add a little PVA or wood glue to make it all stick together better.. This forms a paste that can be moulded on, a bit like a cement.. (the food processor will come up perfect with warm water and wshing up liquid)

Slower way: strips of newspaper, that are wetted with wallpaper paste mixed with a little PVA.. apply the newspaper in strips, wetting both sides with the glue mixture.

Answer 3

Shape a piece of cardboard into a cone. insert a 4 ouncecup in the top of the cone to make the crater of the volcano. Stand the cone on a baking sheet. Cover the cone with plaster of paris(buy in paint store or home depot) Dont get any in the cup. let the cone dry completely. Paint or decorate the cone to look like a volcano.
Making the Eruption Mix 1/4th /cup of vinegar with 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and a little red food coloring. Put i teaspoon baking soda into the crater cup pour the vinegar mixture into the crater.Watch what happens.

Answer 4

I remember making a working volcano by papier-macheing the outside of the volcano, and then putting baking soda in a cup connected to the top of the volcano (make sure there's a big enough hole to pour liquid into), and then pouring vinegar into the baking soda. It created a reaction that spewed foam through the top of the volcano. If you make something similar, just make sure that it's on a tray, cause it's really messy.

Answer 5

yes thats good. if she wants to make a working volcano then she should make a volcani keeping a whole in the centre. there inside she can place a glassfull of chilled 7 up and put orange food color as to give the color of a lava and at the time of presenting her project ask her to put in the salt inthe glass... it will errupt as thus showing the errupting lava from a volcano. I hope u got the idea.

not only 7 up but any white alcholic or soda could be used.

Answer 6

Use paint and clay to form the shape. Put red food coloring and vinegar in the volcano, then when she gets to school have her pour baking soda in it. Watch the effects as it bubbles up.

Answer 7

When I was in 5th grade, I made a model of a rainforest habitat in a refridgerator box, and talked about the various animal and plant life, environmental issues, etc while kids looked around inside. I had a lot of fun with it, and so did all of the younger kids. Even my teachers thought it was pretty cool.

Answer 8

No serenity in your house just now then.!! I work in a library and we get lots of parents in asking how to do school projects, but I think, with help, kids get great fun doing this themselves. I guess the guys on here will come up with ideas for you. Good luck. I have never come across this one, so I will be taking note. Thanks

Answer 9

make it by using a long tube (waterproof) then use papier mache
and then put in baking soda and add some orange food coloring just before u want it to explode add vinegar and stand back also paint the paper to make it look realistic i hope that works caution makes a mess

Answer 10

one get a piece of cardboard then use chicken wire and papermashe to make a base of a volcano covering a small drinks bottle with the lid off and the mouth as the mouth of the volcano.Once dry paint.Then using vinger and bakingsoda you can make lava add alitle red food colouring to make it look real