Lava lamp what is inside

Learn how your comment data is processed. Facebook Pinterest. Lava lamps were all the rage in the s — the perfect time to debut something that created such a trippy-looking scene.

What makes lava lamps flow? MORE Funny money? Please share! Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on pinterest Pinterest. Share on linkedin LinkedIn. Filed under: Home decor , Know more Tags: chemicals , home decor , science , trends , vintage. Besides mood lighting, lava lamps have also been used as random number generators. Programs were made to change the motion of lava blobs into truly random numbers, for use in cryptography.

Multiple people have been hospitalized for consuming the insides of these psychedelic accessories. Enter your keywords. Sign-Up Here. The whirling globs we remember are made mainly of paraffin wax, with compounds like carbon tetrachloride added to increase its density. Ada McVean B. The Science of Basil 11 Sep The other ingredient, which forms the psychedelic, slowly-changing shapes that float around the lamp, is primarily made of wax.

Why, then, does the wax in a lava lamp seem to have such a tough time deciding where it wants to be? Usually, since wax is less dense than water, it would simply sit on top of it.

In lava lamps, however, the water-based liquid is mixed with a secret combination of chemicals that give it a similar density to the wax. When your lamp is turned off, the wax is slightly more dense than the water, and will rest on the bottom of the lamp. When you turn your lamp on, the light bulb at its base will heat the wax, causing it to expand, lose density, and rise through the lamp.