Create a colorful mess (and learn about science) by making elephant’s toothpaste
What happens when you combine hydrogen peroxide, potassium iodide, and soap? You get elephant’s toothpaste…and a gigantic mess. Despite the name, elephant’s toothpaste is not used to improve the oral care of large mammals. Instead, elephant’s toothpaste is a foamy substance that is created by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide with the help of potassium iodide. The released oxygen is then captured by the soap, transforming it into bubbles and foam. Cautionary note: Although it might look like a fun childhood experiment, the chemical reaction is highly exothermic, causing the foam to reach temperatures of 200 °F. In a recent video, YouTuber Mark Rober teamed up with Science Bob to fill a swimming pool with elephant’s toothpaste and break the current world record.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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