Dancing Corn Experiment With Popcorn Kernels

Looking for an easy science experiment that uses things you probably already have in your kitchen? This dancing corn experiment is a simple way for kids to see a chemical reaction in action—and it’s honestly pretty fun to watch! I may or may not be just as mesmerized as my kids when the kernels start dancing on this one.

Using popcorn kernels, baking soda, and vinegar, you can make ordinary corn kernels “dance” up and down inside a glass. The experiment takes just a few minutes to set up, but there’s plenty happening behind the scenes to turn it into a fun little science lesson, too.

It’s yet another experiment using my favorite kitchen ingredients – baking soda and vinegar. If your kids love watching baking soda and vinegar react, this is another fun one to add alongside our Fizzing Slime experiment and Color Changing Volcano experiment.

What Is the Dancing Corn Experiment?

The dancing corn experiment gets its name from what happens when you drop popcorn kernels into a fizzy mixture of baking soda and vinegar. At first, the kernels sink to the bottom of the glass. Then tiny bubbles begin collecting around them. Once enough bubbles attach to a kernel, it rises toward the surface. When those bubbles pop or escape, the kernel becomes heavy enough to sink again.

Up, down, up, down—the popcorn kernels look like they’re dancing around the glass!

Supplies

• Clear drinking glass or jar
• Water
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Unpopped popcorn kernels
• Spoon
• Tray or baking sheet to catch spills
• Food Coloring (optional)

A tall, clear glass or mason jar works especially well because kids can easily watch the kernels travel from the bottom to the top.

How to Do the Dancing Corn Experiment

Step 1: Add Water

Place your glass on a tray or baking sheet in case the mixture bubbles over. Fill the glass jar about 2/3 full with water.

Step 2: Add Baking Soda

Add about 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Stir until most of the baking soda has dissolved. I also add food coloring at this point if I’m using it. Sometimes the different color makes things even more exciting.

Step 3: Add the Popcorn Kernels

Drop a small handful of unpopped popcorn kernels (about 1 tablespoon) into the glass.

Watch what happens. Before adding anything else, ask your kids to make a prediction. Do they think the kernels will stay at the bottom? Float? Move around?

Step 4: Add Vinegar

Slowly pour about 1/4 cup of white vinegar into the glass. The mixture should immediately begin fizzing and bubbling.

Be sure to pour slowly! Adding the vinegar too quickly can cause the reaction to foam right out of the glass.

Step 5: Watch the Corn Dance!

Now comes the fun part. Watch closely as tiny bubbles begin sticking to the popcorn kernels. After enough bubbles collect, you should see some of the kernels begin floating toward the top of the glass. Once they reach the surface and lose their bubbles, they’ll sink back toward the bottom. New bubbles attach, and the whole process starts again.

Your popcorn kernels are dancing!

Why Does the Corn Dance?

The secret behind dancing corn is carbon dioxide gas.

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, they undergo a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas. You can see that gas forming as all those tiny bubbles inside the glass. It’s the same basic baking soda and vinegar reaction we use in our Fizzing Slime experiment, but here you get to see what those gas bubbles can do when they attach themselves to another object.

The popcorn kernels themselves are denser than the liquid, so they normally sink. But carbon dioxide bubbles begin sticking to the rough surface of each kernel. As more and more bubbles collect, they provide enough extra buoyancy to lift the kernel through the water.

When the kernel reaches the surface, some of those gas bubbles pop or escape into the air. Without all those bubbles helping it float, the kernel sinks again.

Then more bubbles attach to it, and back up it goes! That’s what creates the dancing effect.

Turn It Into a Simple Science Lesson

Instead of showing kids exactly what will happen, try asking them to make predictions throughout the experiment.

For younger kids, simply observing and describing what they see is plenty. Older kids can take it a step further by experimenting with different variables.

Try Changing the Experiment

Once you’ve successfully made your popcorn dance, don’t dump everything out just yet!

Kids can make a prediction before each test and compare it with what actually happens.

And if your kids want another experiment where the reaction itself changes what they’re seeing, try our Color Changing Volcano experiment next. It combines the classic fizzy volcano reaction with a fun color-changing element.

What If My Popcorn Kernels Aren’t Dancing?

Give them a little time. It can take a moment for enough carbon dioxide bubbles to collect around the kernels.

If they’re still sitting stubbornly at the bottom, check that your mixture is actively producing bubbles. You can try adding a small splash of vinegar to get the reaction going again. Using a clear, relatively narrow glass can also make the movement easier to see. Avoid filling the container with too many popcorn kernels. A small handful gives individual kernels more room to move.

A Note About Safety

This experiment uses common kitchen ingredients, but it should still be done with adult supervision.

The popcorn kernels and experiment mixture are not for eating or drinking. Popcorn kernels can also be a choking hazard for young children, so keep the materials closely supervised and clean up any spilled kernels when you’re finished. It’s also a good idea to keep the glass on a tray, since the baking soda and vinegar can foam up quickly.

More Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

If your kids aren’t tired of fizzing experiments yet, there are plenty of ways to use the same basic reaction while getting completely different results.

Seeing the same ingredients behave differently in each activity is also a great way to reinforce what’s actually happening in the baking soda and vinegar reaction.

An Easy Kitchen Science Experiment for Kids

One of my favorite things about simple science experiments is that you don’t need fancy supplies to make something really interesting happen.

A little baking soda, vinegar, and a handful of popcorn kernels are enough to demonstrate chemical reactions, gases, density, and buoyancy—all while making corn bounce around a glass. It makes kids comfortable with science in a low stakes environment – which is huge when science often gets an intimidating rep.

Try the dancing corn experiment the next time you need an easy indoor activity, preschool science experiment, or hands-on way to make a science lesson a whole lot more fun. It’s sure to be a hit!