Experiment with Sudsy Lemon Science

What You Need:

• Empty cup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons liquid dish detergent
• Measuring spoon
• Plastic spoon or straw for stirring
• Fresh lemons, sliced into quarters
• Wet and dry paper towels

What You Do:

1. In advance, have your child prepare their cup full of special ingredients. Place the baking soda and liquid dish detergent in the empty cup and stir to mix.
2. Now it’s time for the show to begin.  Gather your family—the audience—in the kitchen for the show. For best results, do this performance over a counter that could use a gentle cleaning. 
3. Have your child begin the show by introducing themself, telling the audience that they can create a cleaning concoction from lemons. They may wish to add a little drama to their presentation by wearing a white jacket (to resemble a lab coat) or putting on safety glasses.
4. Have them squeeze the juice of two quarters of a lemon into the cup.
5. When the lemon juice mixes with the baking soda and dish soap, it begins foaming immediately, creating a fluffy pile of lemon-scented suds!
6. Your child can actually use these suds to clean the counter. Have them simply dump the suds onto the countertop, and use a paper towel to wipe the suds across the counter. Follow up with a wet paper towel to remove any baking soda residue.

What Happened? The acid in the lemons interacted with the baking soda, which is a base. The interaction created carbon dioxide bubbles, which made the soap get bubbly and sudsy. Be sure to explain the "why" behind this interaction to your child prior to the show, so he can answer any questions generated by the audience!