Skip to main content

Up Next

How Do Sparklers Work?

How Do Sparklers Work?

Season 3 Episode 27
2:23
Is Fluoride in Drinking Water Safe?

Is Fluoride in Drinking Water Safe?

Season 3 Episode 28
3:14
How Does Fluorescence Work?

How Does Fluorescence Work?

Season 3 Episode 29
3:23
How To Make a Fluorescent Flower

How To Make a Fluorescent Flower

Season 3 Episode 30
1:41
How Does Protein Build Muscle?

How Does Protein Build Muscle?

Season 3 Episode 31
3:40
How to Catch Dopers

How to Catch Dopers

Season 3 Episode 33
3:45
Is It OK To Pee In The Pool?

Is It OK To Pee In The Pool?

Season 3 Episode 35
3:00
What If Humans Could Photosynthesize?

What If Humans Could Photosynthesize?

Season 3 Episode 36
4:04
Back to Show
Reactions

Elephant Toothpaste

Season 3 Episode 25

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: catalysts.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
How Carbon Capture Works
7:39
Removing CO2 from our atmosphere can mean big business.
How Lead (Maybe?) Caused the Downfall of the Roman Empire
5:55
We unwrap the possibility that lead caused the Roman Empire’s collapse.
Pub Chemistry Trivia to Help You Interact With Humans
5:33
Get back out in the world with Pub Trivia!
Does Sugar Cause Diabetes?
5:50
We explore if eating a lot of sugar can actually cause diabetes.
We Burned Food to Figure Out How Many Calories It Has
7:56
Calories are complicated.
Can Science Make Less Addictive Opioids?
5:34
Will we ever have painkillers as good as opioids, but without the risk of addiction?
Catalytic Converter Stolen? Here's Why.
5:11
Catalytic converter theft is on the rise, and that’s partly because of their chemistry.
Forever Chemicals
4:24
Forever chemicals are used in everything from rain jackets to jet fuel.
Dog's Nose vs. Electronic Explosives Detector, Who Would Win
8:22
Is a dog or chemical detector better at finding a bomb? We find out!
The Science of How Life Started
8:08
We explore how are we using what we know to look for it throughout the galaxy.
COVID, One Year Later: What Do We Know Now?
8:08
We’re catching up with experts we talked to at the start of the pandemic.
Why Doesn’t Banana Candy Taste Like Banana?
10:04
We tracked it down to investigate if it’s as “banana-y” as the myth claims.
Active loading indicator