Jeanette Dent, science teacher at Aire Valley School, in Cottingley New Road, Bingley, explains how to make a volcano – a very topical subject just at the moment!

All this simple experiment requires is a container, such as a plastic cup or bottle, some bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and food colouring.

Put some of the bicarbonate of soda into the container before adding some food colouring.

Then pour in some vinegar, stand back and watch the eruption.

The experiment displays the reaction between an acid, the vinegar, and an alkali, the bicarbonate of soda.

The chemical reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles and erupts from the top of the container.

Families could also have fun making their own papier mache model volcano.