The elephant toothpaste experiment is one of the most famous chemistry demonstrations in the world. It shows the rapid catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen gas. When concentrated hydrogen peroxide is mixed with liquid soap and food coloring, nothing dramatic happens at first because hydrogen peroxide breaks down very slowly on its own.
The real action begins when a catalyst is added. Chemists commonly use potassium iodide or dry yeast dissolved in warm water. The iodide ion or the enzyme catalase in yeast drastically lowers the activation energy of the reaction. This causes the hydrogen peroxide molecules to decompose in a fraction of a second.
As oxygen gas rapidly forms, it gets trapped inside thousands of soapy bubbles. This expands the liquid into an enormous, steaming column of warm foam that erupts violently from the container. The reaction is strongly exothermic, meaning it produces noticeable heat along with water vapor.
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Disclaimer: This video is for informational and educational purposes only. The information comes from public scientific literature, and the images are used to illustrate the reaction.
