Have you ever seen the "Elephant Toothpaste" experiment—where colorful foam shoots out of a flask in a sudsy mushroom cloud? Dr. Kate Biberdorf, the professor for the public understanding of science at the University of Notre Dame (aka Kate the Chemist), is here to explain the exothermic reaction behind this exciting chemistry demo!
• First, we start with 35% hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂
• Next, we add dish soap—this traps the oxygen, builds pressure, and creates the exciting reaction we're looking for!
• Next, we add the food coloring of our choice (green, of course!)
• Finally, we add the catalyst, potassium iodide. This breaks the peroxide apart into oxygen O₂ and water H₂O
Watch as Dr. Biberdorf breaks down this experiment.
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