Hooked on Science: Squeaky clean

Watch what happens when Ivory soap is cooked in a microwave.

Materials

* Ivory soap

* Microwave

Instructions

* STEP 1: Place one bar of Ivory soap on a paper towel and put it into the microwave.

* STEP 2: Heat the soap for one minute and watch what happens.

Explanation

The heat causes the air molecules inside the soap to get excited. When this occurs, the soap expands into an incredible size.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website www.hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindseyhookedonscience.com. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.