Who doesn’t enjoy popcorn science? Why not try this fun jumping corn experiment? The corn experiment is the perfect easy science experiment on chemical reactions and is completely safe for kids of all ages.
Almost any age group can benefit from the popcorn science experiment. This is one of our favorite science experiments to try at home or in the classroom and is a really fun way to do kitchen science experiments and to explore scientific concepts in a simple and safe way.
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You can learn a lot from the corn experiment, as you’ll soon find out below.
This activity is recommended for children ages 3 and up, but adults and older kids can engage as well and will find the experiment quite fascinating!
How Do You Do The Dancing Corn Science Experiment?
This activity can be used as a fun Thanksgiving science experiment or a simple science demonstration for chemical reactions for preschoolers and early elementary students. We completed a fun game of Thanksgiving bingo using a free printable to expand kids’ vocabulary with words related to Thanksgiving, and then engaged in the science experiment.
Older elementary and middle school students can complete the entire experiment, including variations, testing, and a hypothesis.
Remember that every popcorn experiment should include a hypothesis, a test, a variation, and data collection.
How Does the Corn Experiment Work?
A chemical reaction is used in this science experiment. When the two chemicals combine, they produce carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The gas causes bubbles to form around the popcorn kernels.
Substances combine (react) to produce a product that is different from the reactants. A substance called vinegar combined with baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas.
“Dancing corn” is a phenomenon that occurs when kernels of corn are placed in a solution that produces CO2 gas bubbles. The CO2 gas bubbles lift the kernels to the liquid’s surface, and when the gas is released, the corn kernels fall back into the jar.
The CO2 gas bubbles lift the kernels to the liquid’s surface, and when the gas is released, the corn kernels fall back into the jar, giving the appearance that the dry corn kernels are dancing or jumping!
The Corn Experiment and Chemicals Reactions
This popcorn science experiment is a fun way to demonstrate chemical reactions and see which substances produce the longest-lasting reaction.
You’ll need several jars to test each mixture, as well as a timer to determine how long the kernels in each jar bounce before settling to the bottom.
For the most accurate results, repeat each experiment several times. Then have the students determine which substance created the longest-lasting reaction by timing how long the kernels jump inside each container and how long it is before they reach the bottom of the jar.
Who Conducted the First Scientific Experiments with Corn?
The first known person to conduct experiments on corn was James Logan around 1727. His corn studies focused on the male and female aspects of plant reproduction and were one of the first research projects to show how most plants do contain male and female halves.
The conclusion of James Logan’s maize experiments over many years demonstrated the male and female character of flowers—and that both male and female genetic material were required for corn to produce fruit.
Other Amazing Reactions for Junior Scientists
If you like this science experiment, then you probably want to do even more fun science experiments with your kids or students.
Here are some other fun and fast experiments to try with kids!
- Color Changing Flowers Science Experiment
- Borax Crystals Science Project
- Exploding Ziploc Bag Science Experiment for Kids
- Hot and Cold Water Density Experiment
Ingredients for the Simple Dancing Corn Experiment
You will need these items before you can do your corn experiment. You can look for these supplies at your local store or online. The source doesn’t matter, but you will need these exact materials or your experiment won’t work.
- Timer
- Clear plastic containers
- Vinegar
- Oil
- Baking soda
- Popcorn kernels
- Alka-seltzer tablets
How to Do the Popcorn Science Project
Follow these steps to complete the chemistry corn experiment.
Fill each jar halfway with your liquid of choice.
Use water, oil, and vinegar in three different jars.
Test whether adding baking soda or alka-seltzer tablets produces the best results and the most awesome example of a chemical reaction.
You may want to use a cookie sheet below the jars to catch any spills.
Cover the bottom of each jar with a layer of corn kernels.
Add the reactant to the jar and watch it react making carbon dioxide bubbles.
To get the popcorn kernels to jump and the bubbles pop, give them a good stir to see that dancing action.
Time how long each set of kernels continues to bounce and rise up to the surface of the liquid.
The longest-lasting popcorn dance is the winning chemical reaction.
Questions to Ask Students
There are a lot of things that kids can discuss and learn through the different variables in this activity.
In our example experiment kids test whether baking soda and vinegar or alka seltzer tablets and water create a bigger reaction.
Students can also observe things like if there are any differences in the height, speed, or acceleration of the corn as it jumps, which reaction lasts the longest. Which jar can lift more kernels at once, and much more.
Have the students discuss when a longer-lasting chemical reaction might be more useful and when a shorter reaction time might be more important.
Allow the kids to come up with their own questions and variations to the corn experiment.
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