DIY Dancing Frankenworms!

Candy comes alive with this simple science experiment of acid versus a base. Kids will delight in watching gummy worms dancing and squirming right before their very eyes. Creepy!

You will need:

• Gummy worms
• 3 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 cup of warm water
• White vinegar
• Scissors or knife
• Clear cups
• Primary Science Mix & Measure Set

First: adults – cut the worms into quarters using the knife or scissors.

Fill one of the clear glasses with one cup of warm water, stirring in three tablespoons of baking soda. In order to dissolve most of the baking soda, be sure to mix up well. It will be cloudy.

Drop in the worms altogether. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Observe how the worms become bubbly, soaking up all that baking soda/water solution.

After a half-hour, fill the other clear glass with white vinegar. Fish the worms out with a fork and place them in the vinegar. Watch those worms come alive!

The science behind Frankenworms

Baking soda is a base. White vinegar is an acid. When gummy worms soaked in baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are introduced to vinegar, a reaction will occur, mainly in the form of carbon dioxide gas bubbles (kids will probably comment that the worms look, in fact, fuzzy).

As the gas bubbles rise up toward the surface, they take the gummy worms up with them. This makes up the illusion that the worms are alive. The worm drops back down to the bottom of the glass when the gas bubbles burst. This process continues on until all the baking soda from the surface of the worm is essentially used up. 

Happy Halloween!