Dancing Corn Science Experiment

Dancing Corn Science Experiment

Make corn “dance” up and down in a jar of water! This is a fun science experiment to do with baking soda, vinegar, water, and unpopped popcorn.

I’m not sure why we are just now trying this classic experiment. It’s been around for years, but this was our first time to try it!

Recommended Age: My 10 year old daughter and I both thoroughly enjoyed this science experiment, but I’d recommend it for any age. Preschoolers will love watching the corn dance up and down, and middle schoolers can understand what’s really happening with the chemical reaction and the bubbles of CO₂ gas.

Supplies Needed for the Dancing Corn Science Experiment:

• A Jar – we used a 24 oz mason jar, but the size does not need to be exactly 24 oz.
• Unpopped popcorn
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Water
• A spoon

Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup of corn into the jar. If your jar is much larger or smaller, you may need to adjust the amount.

Step 2: Add water to the jar until it’s about 3/4 full. Again, this doesn’t need to be exact, but if you fill it too full, the jar will overflow when you add the vinegar.

Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the jar. Stir it so that it’s evenly mixed.

Step 4: Pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into the jar.

The vinegar will react with the baking soda right away and will bubble and fizz! Wait for the initial reaction to stop. The corn will still be at the bottom of the jar at this point.

Wait patiently! It takes a few minutes, but soon, bubbles of CO₂ gas (a product of the baking soda and vinegar reaction) will form on the pieces of corn.

A baking soda and vinegar reaction is an example of an acid/base reaction. Vinegar’s chemical name is acetic acid (CH₃COOH), and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃). The products of the reaction are water (H₂O), carbon dioxide gas (CO₂), and sodium acetate, which is a salt.

When the bubbles get big enough, they will start to rise to the top of the jar, taking the corn with them!

The bubbles will pop at the surface and the corn will sink down again. But more corn will rise! It’s soooo fun to watch, and the “dancing” goes on for several minutes.

Need more simple science experiments? We’ve got tons!

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