DIY: Dancing Popcorn Experiment

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Dancing Popcorn Experiment

Stem Activities

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Explore amazing kitchen science! This is a brilliant STEM activity perfect for autumn and Thanksgiving that transforms ordinary popcorn kernels into dancing sprites. Both children and adults will be mesmerised by the sight of popcorn dancing up and down. All you need are simple kitchen ingredients like bicarbonate of soda and vinegar!

Materials Needed

Glass
Water
Popcorn kernels
White vinegar
Bicarbonate of soda
Measuring cup
Spoon

An assortment of ingredients and measuring tools are arranged on a light woodgrain table, suggesting preparation for a recipe. A small glass bowl holds dried corn kernels. Two clear glass beakers, one larger and one smaller, contain clear liquids, likely water. A smaller beaker holds a white liquid, possibly milk. A black measuring cup with a small black measuring spoon inside completes the scene.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Add two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda to the water.

A hand holds a black half-tablespoon measuring spoon filled with white powder over a clear glass beaker containing water. The powder is being poured into the water, creating a small white cloud of dissolving substance at the bottom of the beaker. The beaker sits on a light woodgrain table. The image suggests a science experiment or the mixing of ingredients for a recipe.

Step 2

Add two tablespoons of popcorn kernels to the water.

A clear glass beaker, partially filled with water, sits on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. A quantity of dried corn kernels rests at the bottom of the beaker, submerged in the water. Tiny air bubbles cling to some of the kernels. This image suggests an experiment or the first step in a process involving corn.

Step 3

Pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar into the glass.

A hand holds an empty black measuring cup above a clear glass beaker partially filled with water and corn kernels. The beaker sits on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. The corn kernels are submerged at the bottom of the beaker. The positioning of the hand and measuring cup suggests that something, likely a liquid or powder, is about to be added to the beaker.

Step 4

Your popcorn kernels will float up and down in the glass, as if dancing in the water.

A clear glass filled with water and popcorn kernels sits on a light wooden table against a plain white background. The kernels at the bottom of the glass remain stationary, while several kernels near the top of the water bob up and down and around. Tiny bubbles adhere to the kernels, causing their movement. The video demonstrates the effect of carbonation or another gas creating buoyancy, making the kernels rise and fall within the water.

The Science Behind It:

The bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar create a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles attach to the corn kernels, reducing their density and causing them to float to the surface. When the bubbles reach the surface, they pop, releasing the kernels, which then sink back down and the cycle begins again.

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