dancing corn easy science experiment

Science Fun

Dancing Corn Easy Science Experiment

In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate carbon dioxide by making corn dance. 

• Clear carbonated soda like a Sprite
• Popcorn kernels
• Two clear cups

Instructions:

• Fill one of the cups with water.
• Fill the other cup with clear soda.
• Now put several popcorn kernels in each cup and observe what happens.

EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!

How it Works:

The carbon dioxide in the soda attaches to the popcorn kernels. The gas then carries the popcorn kernels to the surface of the soda. The carbon dioxide bubbles pop when they reach the surface and the popcorn kernels sink back toward the bottom. The popcorn kernels begin collecting more carbon dioxide bubbles and the process starts over again. This make the corn appear to dance. 

Make This A Science Project:

Try different types of soda. Try different items like raisins and other small candies. Try different temperatures of soda.  

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO!

previous experiment

Next experiment.

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Dancing Corn Experiment

Can you make popcorn dance? This dancing corn experiment can be done any time of the year, but it’s particularly fun during the Fall season. It is a  simple science experiment that  everyone will love!

Dancing Popcorn Experiment

💡 Explore more popcorn science with our fun popcorn in a bag activity! This is always popular to add to a fall science lesson plan.

Watch the Video

• Tall Jar or Glass {mason jars work well}
• 1/8-1/4 cup of popping corn
• 2 tbsp of baking soda
• 1 cup  of vinegar (use as needed)
• 2 cups of water

💡Want to try it with clear soda instead of baking soda and vinegar? Click here for dancing cranberries!

Instructions:

STEP 1. Grab your ingredients and let’s get started! You can use just about any tall glass or jar. An adult might want to assist with the measuring and pouring if necessary, but it’s also great practice for junior scientists.

STEP 2.   You can then have the kiddos fill the jar with 2 cups of water to start.

STEP 3 . Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir well to mix thoroughly. You can also talk about which solids dissolve in water !

STEP 5. Now add the popping corn kernels or popcorn. You don’t need to add too many for a fun dancing effect.

At this point, you have the perfect opportunity to talk about predictions and have your kids predict what they think will happen when the vinegar is added.

STEP 6 . Now here comes the fun part of our dancing popcorn science project, adding the vinegar.

I would suggest adding the vinegar slowly. I filled a small party cup with vinegar. My son doesn’t do anything slowly, but he loves a good eruption!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Erupting Volcano Experiments

How Does The Dancing Popcorn Experiment Work?

A chemical reaction occurs between two or more substances that change and form a new substance. In this case, you have an acid (liquid vinegar) and a base (solid baking soda).

When the baking soda and vinegar are combined, they make a gas called carbon dioxide which produces the eruption you can see as well as the dancing action.

The secret to the magic dancing corn is the baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction. The carbon dioxide bubbles lift the corn, but as the bubbles pop, the corn falls back down! You can repeat this experiment over and over again. We watched the corn “dance” for 30 minutes!

Learn more about…

• Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments
• Acids and Bases
• Chemical Changes

You can stir the mixture if you like or you can just observe it as is! Our dancing corn experiment lasted for a good half hour but slowed down along the way as the chemical reaction faded.

Using The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is tested with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.

READ MORE:   The Scientific Method For Kids With Examples

To apply the scientific method to the dancing corn experiment, start by identifying a problem or question. For instance, you might ask, “What will happen if corn kernels are added to a mixture of baking soda and vinegar?”

Next, form a hypothesis, such as, “If corn kernels are added to a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, then the corn kernels will start to dance.” To test this hypothesis, gather materials including corn kernels, baking soda, vinegar, and a clear container.

Record and analyze your observations to determine if they support your hypothesis, and consider conducting additional trials or modifying the experiment to further explore the phenomenon.

Fun Variations

Don’t have popcorn on hand? Here are some other easy ideas for setting up a similar experiment using everyday items you will find in your kitchen.

• Cranberries and soda
• We made sprinkles dance too! Thanks to a bit of physics!

More Fun Science Experiments To Try

• Erupting Mentos and Coke Reaction
• Citric Acid and Baking Soda
• Elephant Toothpaste
• Egg In Vinegar
• Skittles Experiment
• Growing Borax Crystals
• Saltwater Density Experiment

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics.

15 Comments

Isn’t it all magic until you learn the science behind it??

I still like to believe in a little magic!

I do a lot of cranberry activities for thanksgiving…i make dough or slime with pureed cranberry. I also make a cranberry bog with fresh cranberries and water and tractor toys…and crush them with mortar, pestles and coffee filters to remove the natural red die

What a fun activity exploring a fun chemical reaction! I love how enthusiastic your son looks as well! Fantastic science fun for fall.

this is a awesome science experiment that i would like to try it.

• Pingback: Super Fun Thanksgiving Inspired Hands On Activities For Kids

FUN! My 12 year old and 2 year old are having a great time with this!

• Pingback: 25 Must-Try Thanksgiving Feast Experiments
• Pingback: Make Homemade Butter Science Activity an Edible Science Recipe
• Pingback: Brilliant Thanksgiving STEM Activities Kids Will Go Nuts For
• Pingback: The BEST Very Simple Science Experiments for Kids to Try Anywhere
• Pingback: Ultimate Boredom Buster: 101 Things to Do When Kids Are Bored

This was great fun for our preschoolers to watch. They loved guessing what would happen and watching the reaction. Thank you!

Awesome! SO glad to hear. Kids have great questions.

Thanks for sharing your cute ideas! I want to make something fun to celebrate fall with the kids! We are getting back into a good routine these days! Now I just need to schedule their pediatric dentist appointments haha!

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Dancing Corn Science Experiment

This dancing corn  science activity  is incredibly fun! All you need is a few ingredients you can find around your house! Your kids will have so much fun with this fall science experiment!

This really simple science experiment is a fall favorite for our kids. Your kids will love trying this experiment out with different amounts of baking soda and vinegar to try and get even more dancing corn!

You just need these a few simple supplies – a jar, water, corn kernels, baking soda and vinegar.

*Note: This should be done with adult supervision at all times.

Setting Up the Dancing Corn Science Activity

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

• Jar or tall cup
• Baking Soda
• Corn kernels

Instructions:

• Grab your jar and some small bowls or cups for your vinegar, baking soda and corn kernels. You will also want to grab a tablespoon and quarter cup measuring spoon. Fill up the small bowls generously if you want to use them for multiple attempts.

• You will want to start by pouring the corn kernels into the jar. We filled the jar so that there was enough corn on the bottom to be about a half inch high. Depending on your jar this is typically about a quarter cup of corn kernels.

• Next, you will want to pour water into the jar. Typically you will want to fill the cup or jar about 3/4 of the way full.

• For this step you will want to fill 1 tablespoon with baking soda. Pour it into the jar and the mix until most of it has dissolved into the water. Make sure the baking soda mixes with the corn and not just the water.

5. This is the step where we start to see the corn dance! Fill a quarter cup measuring spoon with white distilled vinegar and then pour it in. Make sure you have a tray underneath because on occasion it will really bubble up and spill out of the jar. If it does spill out of the jar, fill the jar with less water or use less vinegar. You will have to make adjustments based on the size of your container.

• As mentioned above, you will definitely want to experiment with different amounts of baking soda, water and vinegar to really get the corn dancing. We found that using a little less water and the same amount of vinegar worked for us. It didn’t spill out, but really got the corn dancing!
• Have multiple glasses or jars ready so you can experiment with many variations. We did this experiment 4 times in about 10 minutes. It’s a really fast experiment that can be done back to back if you have enough of the supplies ready. As you set once jar to the side you will see the kernels continue to dance!

Video Instructions of Dancing Corn Science Experiment

Dancing corn experiment variation.

Another fun option is to add food coloring to the water. Our daughter came up with this idea and tried it with several different colors. She had so much fun with it. Just make sure you have a tray below so that if any of the water spills out you don’t stain your table.

The Science Behind this Dancing Corn Experiment:

Upon combining baking soda and vinegar, carbon dioxide gas is generated, resulting in the bubble eruption and fun dancing motion you observe.

The dancing performance is achieved through the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar. The carbon dioxide bubbles elevate the corn, but once they burst, the corn descends. The process will continue over and over. We watched the kernels dance for 20-30 minutes in some of the jars!

I hope your kids have a great time with this fun dancing popcorn science experiment!

Check out these other science experiments and activities for kids.

This Magic Pepper and Soap Science Experiment is so easy to setup and fun for kids of all ages!

This rainbow  Walking Water Science Experiment  is always a big hit for the kids!

This cool Color Changing Flowers Experiment will amaze your kids as they watch the colors crawl up to the petals!

This simple  Oobleck recipe  only requires two household ingredients!

Science is Engaging and Fun for Kids!

Science experiments help foster curiosity and ignite children’s imagination. These experiments help develop a love for learning! It’s a great way for kids to work on problem solving skills, critical thinking and fine motor skills while building confidence!

Your kids will love learning science concepts in home or the classroom.

• Arts and Crafts
• Printable Crafts
• Sensory Play
• Sensory Recipes
• All Learning
• Father’s Day
• Mothers Day
• Patriotic Holidays
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Thanksgiving
• All Parenting
• All Printables
• Science Printables
• Language Printables
• Math Printables
• History + Social Studies Printables
• Printables for Crafts
• All Resources
• Shopping Cart

Dancing Corn Science Experiment

What happens when you mix baking soda, vinegar, and corn together? Find out with an exciting Dancing Corn science experiment your kiddos will love. The Dancing Corn Science Experiment can be done at home or…

What happens when you mix baking soda, vinegar, and corn together? Find out with an exciting Dancing Corn science experiment your kiddos will love.

The Dancing Corn Science Experiment can be done at home or school to entertain your junior scientist and teach them about chemical reactions in a visually fun way! This easy science experiment only requires common kitchen ingredients. I’m guessing you already have everything you need, don’t worry, I have a supply list, directions, and even learning worksheets for you. 

Thank you for visiting. This post may contain affiliate links to recommended products at no extra cost to you. Read our Disclosures and Terms of Use . Don't miss out again, become a  Reader here <--it's FREE. 

When gathering supplies, it seems like the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, but with the addition of different variables like cups of water and corn, you will notice how different and exciting it really is!  

Dried popcorn kernels are a good Fall and Thanksgiving Time theme. In our house, popcorn is enjoyed all the time…so feel free to do this science project anytime, we think it will be the perfect time!

This experiment is great for any age group, in fact, all of my kids, (Age 3-preschooler, 8 and 10-elementary school) loved seeing the results of this experiment and watching the corn kernels move around and dance in the jar. The first time they poured the vinegar into the jar they were delighted as they saw the eruption and bubbles pop at the top of the jar. 

Since this science experiment is fairly fool-proof, it’s a perfect opportunity for children to explore their natural curiosity. 

Once my kids had completed following the science experiment directions, I let them use the supplies to make predictions, and add to the experiment. They added more vinegar, they sprinkled in more baking soda, and they put in drops of food coloring making amazing reactions from the science experiment and my kids (you can hear the giggles on the video). Each additional step resulted in a new observation and more popping bubbles (co2).

Why does popcorn dance in vinegar and baking soda?

When baking soda and vinegar combine, the result is a chemical reaction making carbonic acid. When the carbonic acid decomposes (breaks down or changes) it releases Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The Carbon Dioxide gas forms bubbles that make the corn dance. You can read more about this on  Sciencing.com . 

The printable activity pack includes the explanation of the science behind this experiment so your children don’t just do the experiment, but  they can learn as they observe chemistry in action. 

Why do you use Popcorn Kernels for this Experiment?

Popcorn Kernels have tiny scratches and holes on them. This gives the carbon dioxide bubbles a place to hold onto so they can attach to the kernel and do what bubbles do, float up. When the corn kernels reach the surface, the bubbles release it (pop), and the kernel is left alone to sink back to the bottom of the jar giving it the “dancing action”. An explication of this is also included in the activity pack. 

This experiment has also been done with raisins. 

You could even EXTEND THE SCIENCE EXEPERIMENT and let your children make a hypothesis (educated guess), and select other small objects to try in the jar. Then they could sort the objects that could dance like the corn and the objects that could not dance because of the objects weight or outside surface.  

Safety Tips For This Experiment

To do the Dancing Corn experiment you will be using vinegar and baking soda so it’s a relatively safe experiment, just keep it out of eyes. Activities should always be done with adult supervision. Children should be told not to “eat or drink” the science experiment as a safety precaution and good “science lab” safety.  

You can do this science experiment on its own, or have extra fun and increase learning with our:  DANCING CORN SCIENCE ACTIVITY PACK  that’s designed to introduce concepts of the scientific method. 

EACH SCIENCE PACK IS CREATED TO:

• Make doing the activity  EASY  for you!
• Enhance  LEARNING  for your kids!
• Be ready to  PRINT ,  PREP , and  Do !
• PRINTABLE ADD-ONS  (When needed) 
• VIDEO EXAMPLE  (When available)

DANCING CORN DIRECTIONS

DANCING CORN LAB WORKSHEETS

Don’t see the box?  CLICK HERE   to be directed to the download.  Please share and pin our printable ? 

Dancing Corn Science Experiment

If you like our Dancing Corn Science Experiment I would love for you to PIN IT! It helps others discover it too, which helps us bring you more AWESOME CONTENT like this .

Supplies: Materials You Will Need

• White Vinegar (around 1/2 cup)
• Baking Soda 1-2 tbsp
• Water (around 2 cups)
• Clear Container (around 16 oz) 
• Tablespoon 
• Optional: Food Coloring

Tip: You may want to place the jar on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.

Directions: How To Do The Experiment

You can watch our short tutorial video or read the directions below.

• Fill the container with water. Make sure to leave 1 or 2 inches at the top.
• The experiment will still work but it might be harder to see the corn. 
• Add a little more water to the jar to make the water clear again.   
• Pour corn kernels into the container. 

• When bubbles start forming at the bottom of the container, you can stop and observe the experiment. (It will look like soda bubbles).
• The food coloring does not change the results of the experiment. 

More to Do:

Fall Science Experiments

Hot & Cold Science Experiments

Cloud Science and Fun

Dancing Corn Science Experiment

October 29, 2024, join the conversation, categories/tags:, ages 5-7 ages 8-10 ages 11+, want these great ideas sent right to your inbox sign up for the newsletter..

Make corn “dance” up and down in a jar of water! This is a fun science experiment to do with baking soda, vinegar, water, and unpopped popcorn.

I’m not sure why we are just now trying this classic experiment. It’s been around for years, but this was our first time to try it!

Recommended Age : My 10 year old daughter and I both thoroughly enjoyed this science experiment, but I’d recommend it for any age. Preschoolers will love watching the corn dance up and down, and middle schoolers can understand what’s really happening with the chemical reaction and the bubbles of CO 2 gas.

Supplies Needed for the Dancing Corn Science Experiment:

• A Jar – we used a 24 oz mason jar, but the size does not need to be exactly 24 oz.
• Unpopped popcorn
• Baking Soda

Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup of corn into the jar. If your jar is much larger or smaller, you may need to adjust the amount.

Step 2 : Add water to the jar until it’s about 3/4 full. Again, this doesn’t need to be exact, but if you fill it too full, the jar will overflow when you add the vinegar.

Step 3 : Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the jar. Stir it so that it’s evenly mixed.

Step 4 : Pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into the jar.

The vinegar will react with the baking soda right away and will bubble and fizz! Wait for the initial reaction to stop. The corn will still be at the bottom of the jar at this point.

Wait patiently! It takes a few minutes, but soon, bubbles of CO 2 gas (a product of the baking soda and vinegar reaction) will form on the pieces of corn.

A baking soda and vinegar reaction is an example of an acid/base reaction. Vinegar’s chemical name is acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ). The products of the reaction are water (H 2 O), carbon dioxide gas (CO 2 ), and sodium acetate, which is a salt.

When the bubbles get big enough, they will start to rise to the top of the jar, taking the corn with them!

The bubbles will pop at the surface and the corn will sink down again. But more corn will rise! It’s soooo fun to watch, and the “dancing” goes on for several minutes.

Need more simple science experiments? We’ve got tons!

Here are 45+ Science Experiments for Kids . These are sorted by topic (matter, force and motion, earth science, etc) so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for!

Sue Oct 31, 2024

Sarah, thank you for posting this and including the chemical names of the ingredients, you saved me from looking them up! Happy Fall!

Post a Comment