Tomas’s Fizzing Volcano
Tomas builds a volcano for the science fair, and the experiment goes bubbly wrong!
The school science fair was tomorrow, and Tomas had a plan: a volcano that really erupted. With Hugo the rabbit, Tomas made a mountain from clay and painted it brown.
Inside the crater went baking soda, a squirt of soap and some purple paint. Then Tomas poured in a little vinegar. FIZZ! Bubbles climbed out of the volcano, lava-red and frothy.
‘More!’ cried Hugo. Tomas poured more vinegar. And more. FIZZ-FIZZ-WHOOSH! A huge wave of purple foam spilled over the table and onto the floor. It reached Hugo’s shoes!
They looked at each other, and burst out laughing. ‘Too much vinegar!’ said Tomas. They mopped up, and Tomas wrote in a notebook: ‘Use only a little. Measure carefully.’
At the fair, Tomas did the experiment again, perfectly. The foam rose slowly and spilled gently. Jack the pony clapped. ‘Excellent,’ said Jack. ‘And I love your notes on what went wrong.’
The little lesson
Mistakes are part of discovering how things work.
Let’s talk about it
- What makes a volcano fizz?
- What would you do differently?
Finish stories to collect Tomas as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Little Scientists stories
Harvey, Bug Scientist
Harvey discovers a strange beetle and follows the clues to find out what it is.
The Volcano Experiment with Rosie
Rosie builds a volcano for the science fair, and the experiment goes bubbly wrong!
The Rainbow Maker: Cosmo
Cosmo wonders where rainbows come from, and discovers how to make one at home.
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