Halloween Fizzing Ghosts

Create your own eerie and fun Fizzing Ghosts with this simple and spooky guide!

Remember: always take appropriate safety precautions when handling chemicals.

You Will Need

• Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
• Flour
• Acetic (Ethanoic) Acid 6% (vinegar)
• Coconut oil
• Spoon
• Large baking dish
• Measuring beaker
• Googly eyes

Making Your Fizzing Ghosts

1. In a large dish, mix together 2 parts flour to 1 part Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and pour it into the dish with the dry ingredients.
3. Using your hands, thoroughly mix everything together until the texture becomes soft. It should be ready to be squished and moulded into ghostly shapes. If the consistency is too wet, add more flour. If it is too dry, add a bit more coconut oil to achieve the perfect texture.
4. Start moulding the dough into ghost shapes, giving them their spooky personalities. Do not forget to add googly eyes for extra character!
5. Now for the magical moment! Using a teaspoon, carefully add Acetic Acid 6% above the ghosts and watch as they come to life with a delightful fizzing reaction!

The Science

The acetic acid reacts with the sodium hydrogen carbonate to produce sodium acetate, carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide bubbles that are forced out cause the fizzing.

The reaction is an acid-base neutralisation reaction:

• Acetic acid breaks down into CH₃COO⁻ and H⁺, and the sodium bicarbonate breaks down into Na⁺ and HCO₃⁻.
• The HCO₃⁻ accepts the H⁺ from the acetic acid and becomes H₂CO₃. This is unstable and immediately decomposes into CO₂ and H₂O.
• The Na⁺ from the bicarbonate combines with the CH₃COO⁻ to form CH₃COONa.

So the overall reaction is:

CH₃COOH + NaHCO₃ → CH₃COONa + CO₂ + H₂O

Please be advised that this guide is intended for informational purposes only and Breckland Scientific cannot accept any responsibility for the outcome of any usage based on this guide.