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To make a lamp you will need: a glass cylindrical vessel with a well-fitting lid; base material (wood, metal, plastic); light bulb socket; light bulb 25 W; Castor oil; a dye that is soluble in fats and insoluble in water and alcohol (you can try oil paints); alcohol (90-96 degrees).
The base can have any shape and is made of any material. A glass vessel and a light bulb hidden underneath are fixed at the base. Several holes are drilled into the side walls to cool the structure. First, the liquid is painted on a fatty basis. Pour it into a glass vessel into which a mixture of water and alcohol has already been poured. A small space should be left at the top of the vessel, which will fill when the liquid expands from heating. If the fatty liquid immediately floats, you need to change the density of the water-based liquid by adding alcohol. Check if the lamp works by heating the bottom of the vessel. If necessary, add more alcohol or water (adding alcohol leads to a decrease, and water - to an increase in the density of the aqueous solution). When the lamp works satisfactorily, seal the lid tightly (with glue).
Now all that remains is to assemble all the parts, insert the glass vessel into the base and turn on the lava lamp.
Here's another recipe:
A lava lamp is a tall glass vessel that moves a mysterious, playful mixture of brightly colored liquids and solids. There are also lava lamps with sparkles. When the lamp is turned on, the mixture inside it heats up and these various particles move, which creates the indescribable effect of a bright surreal dance. A very beautiful thing.
You can try to make a lava lamp at home, but it is not a fact that it will be exactly the same in quality and beauty as those made professionally. But trying is not torture.
Here's what you need to make a lava lamp
1. Glass cylindrical tall vessel
2. Water
3. Colored bright objects, preferably small and light
4. Vegetable oil
5. Student crystals. You can use salt or sugar.
6. Paraffin
7. Light bulb
Manufacturing process
Fill a glass vessel halfway with water, add a little liquid paraffin and throw in some colorful small objects.
Add oil to the mixture and wait until the oils and water are completely separated from each other
Next, add a pinch of your chosen crystals.
Now place the vessel on the switched on light bulb and observe. The effect is amazing.
Third Recipe:
The glow of this lamp is truly a magical sight. Large, brightly colored bubbles are constantly forming and moving in her glass vessel, creating a play of light.

The principle underlying this “mysterious” phenomenon is simple.A glass vessel contains two immiscible liquids - one water-based (with the addition of alcohol), the other oil-based. At room temperature, the density of an oil liquid is slightly greater than that of a water liquid. A water-based liquid can be uncolored or dimly colored, while a fat-based liquid can be painted in a bright color. The glass vessel is mounted on a base, inside of which there is an electric light bulb that illuminates the contents of the vessel through the transparent bottom. At the same time, the light bulb heats the liquid. An oil-based liquid, located at the bottom of the vessel at room temperature, expands when heated and rises upward in large bubbles. At the surface it cools and sinks down. This simple physical phenomenon creates funny movement and play of light.

Similar lamps could be seen at VDNKh in the Electronics pavilion. They invariably aroused the interest of visitors. As you can see, the principle of operation of the lamp is simple; you can make it yourself.


What should you stock up on? To make a lamp you will need: a glass cylindrical vessel with a well-fitting lid; base material (wood, metal, plastic); light bulb socket; 25 W light bulb; Castor oil; a dye that is soluble in fats and insoluble in water and alcohol (you can experiment with oil paints); alcohol (90-96 degrees).

Making the base. It can have any shape and be made of any material. A glass vessel and a light bulb hidden underneath are fixed at the base. Several holes are drilled in the side walls to serve for cooling.

Preparation of liquids. First, color the fat-based liquid with the desired color dye.Pour it into a glass vessel into which a mixture of water and alcohol has already been poured. A small space should be left at the top of the vessel, which will fill when the liquid expands from heating. If the fatty liquid immediately floats, change the density of the water-based liquid by adding alcohol. Test to see if the lamp works by heating the bottom of the vessel. If necessary, add more alcohol or water (adding alcohol leads to a decrease, and water increases the density of the aqueous solution). When the lamp works satisfactorily, seal the lid tightly (with glue).

Now all that remains is to assemble all the parts, insert the glass vessel into the base and, finally, turn on the “magic lamp”.

Happy experiments!
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Comments (18)
  1. DirectHands
    #1 DirectHands Guests March 19, 2011 05:35
    4
    Does the thickness of the vessel walls matter or not?
  2. NOTFRONT
    #2 NOTFRONT Guests March 19, 2011 09:22
    1
    preferably not thinner than a 0.5 liter bottle.
  3. feelloff
    #3 feelloff Guests 20 March 2011 14:02
    2
    Yesterday I bought a lava lamp. I worked out six sonnets. Satisfied terribly!

    Here it is disassembled, nothing complicated:

  4. Denisov
    #4 Denisov Guests 26 May 2011 09:59
    7
    1 more way:
    ingredients for pouring into the flask: 1. Paraffin (you can fuse colored candles)
    2. Glycerin (you can buy it at the pharmacy, but I took 1 jar from the school laboratory)
    paraffin sinks in glycerin, but if it is heated, it floats to the surface, then, as it cools, it sinks.
  5. madelavalamp
    #5 madelavalamp Guests 6 January 2012 20:55
    5
    According to the description offered in the article, I made this lava lamp:
  6. Tar
    #6 Tar Guests 7 June 2012 20:05
    0
    Question: which alcohol is better to use for making an alcohol-based lava lamp, technical (methanol) or ethyl alcohol?
  7. SamoDelkin
    #7 SamoDelkin Guests 2 July 2012 14:41
    0
    Denisov, have you tried your method?
  8. SamoDelkin
    #8 SamoDelkin Guests 2 July 2012 14:45
    0
    Denisov, have you tried your method?
  9. Pesik1
    #9 Pesik1 Guests December 10, 2012 12:37
    0
    I tried it with water, alcohol and castor oil. The alcohol dissolved in water and oil and the oil floated up again. Is it really a joke to use castor oil in which alcohol dissolves? Why not take sunflower, neither water nor alcohol dissolves in it.
  10. Pesik1
    #10 Pesik1 Guests December 10, 2012 12:43
    0
    What about the paraffin lamp with oil? Paraffin is much lighter than oil and will float on top. True, I read somewhere about heavy wax, which has a high density.

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