A baking soda and vinegar reaction is much easier to explain to a child than acids and bases! Assuming they know what molecules and reactions are, I would just tell them that when baking soda and vinegar react, they form a gas (carbon dioxide). The pressure in the bottle builds up the more carbon dioxide is produced until the force is enough to cause the bottle to go shooting off the cork!

Hi Erica,

It would depend on what the second grader already knows, obviously, but if I were explaining this to a second grader, I would make sure they know that everything is made of atoms and that atoms group together to form molecules. Basically, when the molecules in the baking soda (which dries on the paper) come in contact with some of the molecules in the turmeric (namely curcumin), a reaction occurs which causes the curcumin to change color. It would depend on the child which direction to go next. If they are curious about what colors even are we can talk about wavelengths of light and how different wavelengths of light look different to our eyes. I would tell them that the reaction that happens when the turmeric and baking soda come together causes the turmeric to reflect a different color of light. If they were more interested in vocabulary, we might talk about acids and bases, and how turmeric is known as an indicator because it changes color when it comes in contact with a base like baking soda. I probably wouldn’t get into the details of pH and how acids and bases work specifically with second graders seeing as how I have a phD and still have to remind myself about the details of which molecule donates what and all that. 😂 It all depends on the child’s level of interest though!

How can I explain this to second graders? Thanks.

Hi Carolyn! I emailed you the file earlier today. 😊 Let me know if you didn’t get it!

I’m so glad it was useful to you! 😊