Seventh graders in Kaffie Middle School’s Dr. Cynthia Hopkins' science class recently dove into a colorful and fizzy experiment with the use of bath bombs, which are a small compact ball or shape made of a mix of ingredients that dissolve in water.
Before the lab began, Dr. Hopkins reviewed the importance of lab safety and how the five senses can be a key tool in scientific observation.
To kick things off, students touched the bath bombs to feel their texture and wafted them to catch a whiff of their scent. Students also made predictions about what they thought would happen during the experiment.
With their senses activated and curiosity piqued, the lab’s material managers took charge. Responsible for the lab materials, these students carefully filled containers with water and made a crucial decision: hot or cold water?
With everyone gathered around, the material managers dropped the bath bombs into the water. Instantly, the classroom filled with the sound of fizzing, and the bath bombs began to spin and dissolve, creating a colorful, bubbling spectacle. The students were thrilled to see chemistry in action as the bath bombs fizzed and popped, displaying clear signs of a chemical change.
Throughout the experiment, students diligently wrote down their observations, noting the differences between their predictions and the actual results.
“It was so fun!” said seventh-grader Addison Loosemore. “My favorite part was seeing the bath bomb fizz and learning that water is a compound.”