Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Collect your supplies. You'll need 30% hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, food coloring, dried yeast, water, a funnel, and a 2 liter (0.5 US gal) soda bottle. All of these materials can be found at big box stores, pharmacies, and online. It's also important to have adult supervision during this demonstration. Set up your demonstration in an area that will be easy to clean up. A 30% hydrogen peroxide will make the most impressive explosion.
Pour some hydrogen peroxide into a soda bottle. Get a large 2 liter (0.5 US gal) soda bottle and pour in some hydrogen peroxide. The stronger (high concentration or percentage) the hydrogen peroxide you use, the bigger the explosion will be...but be careful: hydrogen peroxide can easily burn you! When you pour it in, use a funnel and get help from an adult.
Add some dish soap. Pour 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of liquid dish soap into the soda bottle.
Add some food coloring. Add a healthy squirt of food coloring if you want your explosion to have a color. You can use any color you like!
Mix together water and yeast. Mix 1 tablespoon (8.5 g) of dried yeast with 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of water in a separate, small bowl.
Pour the yeast into the soda bottle. Pour it in quickly and stand back!
Kaboom! The yeast and the hydrogen peroxide will combine to make an explosion of foam. Be careful, this reaction is exothermic, which means it creates heat. Don't touch the foam right away because it will be hot!
Using Ivory Soap
Get a bar of Ivory soap. Choose a fresh, unused bar of Ivory brand soap specifically. You can find it in grocery and big box stores.
Cut up the soap. Put the soap on a cutting board and cut it into about 6 equal-sized pieces. Just use a butter knife and cut it into 6 pieces.
Put the pieces on a plate. Put the pieces of soap onto a plate or a piece of wax paper.
Microwave the plate. Microwave the plate of soap for about 1 1/2 minutes.
Watch your soap explode. Watch the soap as it goes through the microwave and you will see it grow to enormous size!
Wait until the soap cools to clean it up. Give the soap 5-10 minutes to cool down. Then, use a damp rag to scoop the soap into a trash bag and clean the microwave.
Using Diet Coke and Mentos
Get a large soda. Get a large 2 liter (0.5 US gal) bottle of Diet Coke or Diet A&W root beer. Children can do this experiment as long as they ask an adult to supervise the demonstration. Be sure work in an area that is easy to clean up, like a yard or kitchen with laminate flooring. The aspartame in the "diet" variety is needed to make the reaction work, so don't try it with regular sodas. Use a soda that is fresh and has not been opened before. A flat soda will make a smaller explosion.
Get your “explosive” material. Usually mint, Original Mentos are used for this experiment, but you can also use rock salt.
Add the “explosive” material to the soda. Open the soda bottle and drop in the Mentos or rock salt.
Stand back! A giant geyser of soda will explode up into the air! Be careful or you'll end up taking a shower in Coke!
Using Ammonium Dichromate
Get some ammonium dichromate. You'll need 20 grams (0.71 oz) of ammonium dichromate. Find your local chemical supply company to get your hands on some.
Fill a deep tray with sand. Get some sand and fill a deep tray or pan with the sand. Place this tray and do the experiment under a running ventilation hood. Any kind of sand will work.
Add the ammonium dichromate. Make a pile of ammonium dichromate at the center of the sand.
Add some lighter fluid. Put a small amount of lighter fluid at the center of the pile.
Light it. Using a match, light the pile where the lighter fluid is.
Watch the reaction. It takes time for the reaction to build but eventually it will look like an erupting volcano!
Using Dry Ice
Get some dry ice. You won't need much. Just a few small chunks for each boom you want to create.
Get some plastic water bottles. Get a few plastic water bottles, such as those used for soda or water. The stronger the plastic, the better.
Put some water in the bottles. Fill the bottle about halfway with warm water.
Put the dry ice in the water bottle. Drop a few chunks into the plastic water bottle. You will want to do this outside in an area away from other people and with some kind of cover. .
Cap the bottle. Quickly, tightly cap the water bottle and set the bottle down in the explosion area.
Get out of the way. Quickly get to a safe location. The gas buildup will cause the bottle to explode! Make sure you are away from the bottle or you could get hurt.
Using Liquid Nitrogen
Set up in a large space. This is a very large, dangerous explosion so you'll need a very large space. This demonstration should be performed by adults, not children!
Get your supplies. You'll need a very large plastic garbage can (of good quality), 5 gallons (19 L) of warm water, a water bottle, liquid nitrogen, and some fun exploding material (like packing peanuts or ping pong balls).
Pour the warm water into the bottom of the garbage can. Use all 5 gallons (19 L) of water.
Pour the liquid nitrogen into the water bottle. Using a funnel, fill the bottle a third of the way. .
Add the bottle and the extra material. Very quickly, cap the bottle tightly and place it in the warm water. The instant you place the nitrogen-filled bottle in the water, someone else should be pouring in the ping pong balls or other fun material.
Run. Get out of the way and be sure to cover your ears with muffs or flat hands. If the water bottle cracks or is capped incorrectly, the explosion will not go off. Wait at least 10 minutes before approaching to check the water bottle and be very careful when handling it.
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