Foam Explosion in Super Slow Motion (Video)

In this video, Reactions teams up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, PhD, to explain the Elephant Toothpaste experiment

Written byAmerican Chemical Society
| 1 min read
Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00

You might have seen this wacky experiment in a chemistry class or on late-night TV. Dropping a mixture into some hydrogen peroxide produces a huge foamy flume. But what’s actually causing that big mess? Turns out it’s a great illustration of a key concept in chemistry. In this week’s video, Reactions teams up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, PhD, to explain the Elephant Toothpaste experiment.

Subscribe to our weekly series at http://bit.ly/ACSReactions and follow us on Twitter @ACSReactions.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Loading Next Article...
Loading Next Article...

CURRENT ISSUE - October 2025

Turning Safety Principles Into Daily Practice

Move Beyond Policies to Build a Lab Culture Where Safety is Second Nature

Lab Manager October 2025 Cover Image