In grade school, you probably mixed vinegar and baking soda to make a papier-mâché volcano erupt. Cool when you’re six, but lame afterward. The guy from The Action Lab has an alternative that is more realistic. Using amonium dichromate produces heat and ash like a real volcano, and actually builds a volcanic cone and crater out of its own spent material. The weird thing is that amonium dichromate becomes safer as it erupts! The experiment is only three minutes long, the rest is an ad. Oh yeah, in case you haven’t figured it out, the “cooler” in the title refers to desirability, not temperature.

[via Digg]

Tags: chemistry, The Action Lab, volcano