Q&A for How to Make a Lava Lamp with Household Ingredients

Sure, coconut or olive oil would work just as well.

Yes, you can make it without food coloring and it will not change the lava lamp in any way other than the color.

As long as it has a lid and is perfectly sealed then you can use any bottle you want.

The heat from the light makes the "lava" rise, and as it cools near the top, it will sink again.

It lasts a few minutes. A way to keep it going is to add salt after it finishes.

You need some type of oil, but you could experiment with different kinds.

Follow the steps in method 2 for making a permanent lava lamp.

You need to make the density of the oil greater than that of the alcohol. Thin it down with a couple of drops of solvent, such as turpentine or paint thinner. To make it more dense, you would add salt.

Yes, the instructions are above. :)

Yes, but only to color the water.

Yes, it can be a replacement if you have no Alka Seltzer tablets.

Nope! A candle or low watt bulb will work. Just make sure the bulb isn't too hot. You want the lava to flow properly and want to avoid breaking the glass.

Yes, but it is a little harder to do. Maybe try it on your second or third lamp.

Nope, it won't have the same density as alcohol. Try to find something with the same density of alcohol and similar chemical properties so you don't accidentally make the jar explode.

About 1 hour, but it depends on how much salt you put in.

You don't have to if you don't have any. In the permanent one, you can see there's no food coloring. The light will make it better for you to see the bubbles.

Alka-Seltzer is made of baking soda and citric acid. The two combine to make the chemical reaction that makes bubbles. Baking soda alone won't give you the same effect.

This lasts a few minutes. A way to keep it going is to add salt after it finishes.

It won’t have the same density, and it won’t work. Try and find a substitute with the same density.

Yes, but it’s harder to do. Maybe try it on your second or third lamp. You could also use artist’s oil paint to get color, but it might get stuck at the bottom or the top.

We did just normal cooking salt, and we tried the tablets. The tablets didn’t work any differently.

You need to have some sort of oil. On the temporary one, when it's done, add salt to make it keep going for a bit longer.

Yes, you can. Any oil works as long as they are less dense than water. Olive and sesame oil work as well.

Yes, if you would like, but only on the inside, so you can see the mixture. If you have a lightly colored jar (like stained glass) you could use that.

You could use Method 2: Make a Permanent Lava Lamp. It doesn't include Alka-Seltzer and you don't HAVE to use food coloring.