How to Make a Smoke Bomb from Safe Substances

Lena and Petya were always full of ideas for new experiments. Today, they decided to make a smoke bomb, but not the kind you see in movies—instead, a safe one using salt, baking soda, and lemon. Lena had found an interesting recipe online that promised to create smoke without causing harm. The kids were excited, as this was their first experiment with chemical reactions that they could do outdoors.

“Have you ever made a smoke bomb?” Lena asked, taking a few simple ingredients out of her bag. “We will use baking soda, lemon, and salt. These substances react with each other, and we’ll get safe smoke!”

Petya looked at the ingredients with interest:

“How does this work? Can baking soda and lemon really cause smoke?”

Lena nodded:

“Yes, it’s all thanks to a chemical reaction! Baking soda reacts with the acid in the lemon to produce carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles and can create smoke. It’s important to remember that the reaction is safe as long as we follow all the instructions and work in an open space.”

Petya was happy to be taking part in an experiment with safe materials:

“This will be cool! I’ve always wanted to see how this works in practice!”

The kids went outside, where there was plenty of space to experiment. Lena prepared all the materials they would need: baking soda, salt, lemon, a small pot, a few wooden sticks for stirring, and a cup of water. Petya set everything up on a flat surface, ready for the process.

“Let’s start by mixing a few ingredients,” Lena said, pointing to the pot. “We’ll use 1 part baking soda, 2 parts salt, and some lemon juice. We’ll mix it all carefully in the pot.”

Petya helped Lena by adding the baking soda and salt to the pot. They first added the baking soda and salt, then added the lemon juice, which immediately began reacting with the baking soda, creating bubbles and releasing a small amount of smoke.