Center on Disability Studies
Lava & Viscosity: Lava Lamps
Grades: 2-3
Time: 60 minutes
Learn about viscosity and heat conduction in relation to volcanoes and lava flow. They construct and observe a lava lamp to demonstrate science concepts.
3.MD.A.2.
Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g. by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.
2-ESS1-1
Some events happen very quickly; others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe.
2-ESS2-2
Develop a model to represent patterns in the natural world.
Watch the video to see how lava looks when it moves at different temperatures. When the lava first erupts it has less viscosity and flows faster. As the lava cools, more resistance is created, and it flows more slowly. This means it has a higher viscosity over time until it eventually cools and hardens into rock.
This is a lava lamp. It shows how different liquids move through each other without combining.
Make your own lava lamp.
