🧪 Science with Sarah: 🧙 Wizard’s Brew

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Watch the video of Sarah’s school science experiment at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary above!

Are you looking for something fun to do at home that has a little bit of science behind it?

Here’s a potion for your little witches and wizards just in time for Halloween!

So why exactly do you think the reaction occurs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Be sure to check out GMSA @9 on Wednesdays when KSAT Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it. To view, click on the video player above. Check out our Science with Sarah webpage for more fun science experiments!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • Two water bottles
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Dish soap (clear dish soap is best!)
  • Dry yeast packets
  • Warm water
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Glitter (optional)

DO THE EXPERIMENT

  1. In one of the water bottles, mix 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup of dish soap. Mix in your favorite food coloring.
  2. In the other water bottle, mix the dry yeast with warm water. NOTE: The water should be warm. If it is too hot or too cold, the yeast will not activate
  3. Wait five minutes for the yeast to activate in the warm water
  4. Add the yeast to the water bottle with hydrogen peroxide and dish soap, and watch as lots of tiny bubbles explode to the surface!

HOW IT WORKS

This is a great example of chemistry! In this experiment, yeast acts as a catalyst. A catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction. In this case, the yeast helps break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The dish soap captures the oxygen bubbles and makes for a very cool-looking reaction.

Here’s the chemical reaction, if you’re curious: 2H₂O₂(hydrogen peroxide) → 2H₂O(water) + O₂(Oxygen)

SCIENCE WITH SARAH

If you’d like Sarah to come to your school and conduct a science experiment live on KSAT, fill out this form. “Winners” are selected at random.