Joey Green's Mad Scientist

Exploding Volcano

What You Need

Scissors
Metal screening
Needle
Thread
Newspaper
Circle of 1/4-inch thick pine wood, 1 foot in diameter
Hammer
Carpet tacks (or staple gun and staples)
Clean, 3-ounce cat food can
Measuring cup
Plaster of Paris
Bowl
Water
Paintbrush
Brown paint
Shellac
Ammonium dichromate (from a chemical supply store)

What to Do
With adult supervision and using scissors, form a cone shape with the metal screening, and sew it together with the needle and thread. Fill the cone with crumpled-up newspaper, and tack it down to the pine board. Set the cat food can in the cone of the volcano.
Cover the tabletop with newspaper. Cut newspaper strips 1 to 2 inches in width. Mix plaster of Paris and water in a bowl, according to the package instructions. Dip each newspaper strip into the plaster, gently pull it between your fingers to remove excess plaster, and apply it to the screening until it is completely covered. Let it dry, then paint it with the brown paint. Spray with shellac to seal the volcano. Let dry thoroughly.
Set the volcano outdoors. Crumple up a small piece of newspaper, put it in the cat food can, then pour some ammonium dichromate over it. With an adult watching, light the newspaper with a match, then quickly back away. (Instead of ammonium dichromate, you can place a smoke bomb in the volcano and ignite it.)

What Happens
The volcano flares up, sparks, sputters, and sends a green lava flow spilling over the sides.

Why It Works
When ignited, ammonium dichromate (an orange, crystalline solid) spews sparks, a fluffy green solid (chromium oxide), steam (water vapor), and heat (nitrogen gas).

The Volcano Farm
On February 20, 1943, a volcano began forming from a crack in the earth in a farmer's cornfield in Paricutan, Mexico (near the southwestern city of Uruapan). Within six days, the volcanic material formed a cinder cone over five hundred feet high. Two months later, the cone reached one thousand feet. The lava destroyed the village of Paricutan and San Juan Paragaricatiru. Today the volcano, which ceased activity in 1952, stands 1,345 feet high.

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