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Bath Bomb Factory Facts and Cool Details

It is a wonderful feeling to be able to make things that you would normally have to buy from a shop. You feel as if you've cracked their trade secrets! And making things yourself means your inventions can be unique; no one else will have them unless you decide to give your homemade goods as a gift. Add to that the extra fun weird things you can do with the chemicals that the folks who buy mass-produced bath bombs will never discover and enjoy! Reading about it is just not good enough. Go make a Bath Bomb and Bomb the Bath.

The Chemistry

Acids and Alkalis! Most kids have heard of these chemicals and maybe know that they can be dangerous. Well, we use a natural acid found in citrus fruit called Citric Acid and it is safe. We don't use alkali either, but we use a base: Sodium Bicarbonate is baking soda, and it, too, is safe. Acids and bases react to make salts, water and a gas. Our chemical reaction is:
- Sodium bicarbonate + Citric Acid makes Sodium Citrate (a salt) + Carbon Dioxide (the fizzy gas) + Water
The dry chemicals, even when mixed, will not react until they have dissolved in water. This is why the bath bombs do not ‘explode' in the shop.
Another amazing thing: the reaction is cold. It is an endothermic reaction, which means that it absorbs energy. For example, in our Magic Balloon experiment, as the balloon self inflates, it feels very cold!!
The glycerine and starch is there to help the bomb stick together. A little reaction takes place making sodium citrate which also works as a kind of natural glue. They also feel nice on the skin.

THE PHYSICS

Crackling Balloon: Now this is truly weird. Put your ear to the Magic Balloon and listen to the pops and crackles of the reaction as it inflates. Yes, you get a cold ear, but the sounds are very strange. The same reaction in air sounds very different. We think it is something to do with sound traveling in cold Carbon Dioxide. What do you think?
Sink and float? The Bomb may sink... then float up! We think this is to do with the amount of CO2 gas attached to the bomb compared to the weight of the big bomb, and then the weight of the bomb as it gets reacted away. What do you think?
Soap Volcano: the detergent reduces the surface tension of the liquid making bubbles last longer, which means that the gas doesn't escape so quickly, so up comes a cold foam volcano. Or a fire extinguisher!

A WILD Career
Now, you may be thinking what has this to do with real life science? Our answer – everything! The science of acids and bases is fundamental to food preparation and preservation, soaps and cosmetics, anti corrosion systems, water treatment systems and more. Acids and bases are natural substances found throughout the great outdoors and react to maintain balances in soils. Soil scientists must understand how these systems work to make agriculture sustainable. And, of course, if you end up teaching high school or college Chemistry, then you'll definitely need to know the ins and outs of pH, acids, bases, reactions, and all the rest of that amazing stuff. It's definitely a lot to know, so, for now, let's stick to knowing that the Bath Bomb is super fun.

Additional Experiments

I've heard of Baked Alaska, but not Bombed Alaska. Predict and then test what happens if you put a bath bomb in icy water.
Bug Bomb: embed a plastic bug inside a bath bomb and give it to Mom or your big sister. Don't wait around for the results!
Un-sink the Titanic: sink a toy ship in your bath. Now use a plastic bag and a bath bomb to float it to the surface – your way!

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