I have a question about lava lamps?

Question

The liquid inside a lava lamp, what is it made of...I know that the goop is just candle wax. And is this true or not, if you break a lava lamp and the liquid gets onto your flooring, will it melt through your floor? My theory was that it would just leave a messy stain on your floor if you had carpet but if you had wood or tile floors you could just easily clean it up. Am I close, right, wrong, or what? Please explain!

Answer 1

Lava lamps is NOT a geology question...it's a chemistry.

And it can be made of any 2 substances that are similar in density where the "lava" substance expands and contracts due to heat more than the other liquid.

Wax and the right density mineral oil is one possibilty.

Benzyl Alcohol and Saltwater of the right density works too.

The former makes a mess.  The latter eats through chemistry counter tops.  How lucky are you feeling?

Answer 2

The stuff in the lava lamp will not eat through the flooring.  If the lamp is hot, it might cause a big mess.  If it is cold, the mess will be smaller.

Answer 3

It is two immiscible (not dissolvable in each other) waxy fluids with slightly different densities, so that adding heat causes convection currents.