Microwave Ivory Soap Experiment?   (Ivory soap in microwave)
Channel: Kids Fun Science
Date: 2019-09-03

Microwave Ivory Soap Experiment?   (Ivory soap in microwave)
For teachers and parents

Amazon USA 
Ivory Soap - https://amzn.to/2VpgqGc
Microwave - https://amzn.to/3cDNQGU

Kids Fun Science On-line Store (All money goes back into the schools)
https://teespring.com/stores/kids-fun-science

Filming equipment 
Cell Phone Tripod 54 inch Travel Tripod with Bluetooth Remote - https://amzn.to/34REzbB
Blue Yeti USB Microphone - https://amzn.to/3ePJwGu
Green screen & lights - https://amzn.to/2XT9Yc1

WARNING: Plate and soap is very HOT! Use oven gloves and Let soap cool down Also wash your hands after as you might get soap in your eyes.
NOTE that your microwave will be very fragrant for a day. 

Ivory bar soap is whipped with air in its production and floats in water. Ivory's first slogan "It Floats!" was introduced in 1891. Other brands of soap do not have as much air in it and will not have the same result. We did not test any other brands in the microwave. 

When Ivory soap is heated in a microwave it gets hot and causes the soap to get soft. The microwaves beaming in the oven excite the water and air molecules inside the soap cause them to move in opposite directions from each other and vaporize. The vaporization of these molecules causes the tiny air pockets or bubbles trapped inside the soap to rapidly expand. 

Since the soap has been heated and is in a soft state, the expanding air and water molecules can easily push it out into a new foam like substance. 

Although the soap looks vastly different from when we started, the substance of it remains the same. There was no chemical reaction during the experiment ONLY a physical one.

 What did occur was a demonstration of Charles' Law the volume of gas increases with temperature. Now get some friends and try the microwave 


What is Happening? Heating the Ivory soap softens it and heats the air and water trapped within the bar of soap. This causes the water to vaporize and the air to expand. The expanding gasses push on the softened soap which causes the soap to expand. The appearance of the soap is changed however no chemical reaction is occurring.

microwave ivory soap cool science experiment