Professor Picklebottom
Invisible Extinguisher
Can You Put Out a Fire Without Touching It?
Professor Picklebottom discovered something strange in his lab — an invisible gas that could suffocate a flame without blowing, without water, and without touching it at all.
Fire needs oxygen to survive. But this gas was heavier than air — and when he tilted it toward the candle, the flame simply vanished.
Your mission: create that invisible gas and use it like a real firefighter
Ages
7-12 yrs
Duration
min
5
Difficulty
Medium
Stage
Stage 2-3
Cite this resource
Created by Darin Carr (BSc, DipEd)
NESA Accredited Teacher · Chemistry & Physics Specialist · 30+ years in-class teaching
Resource Version: 1.0
First Published:
Last Updated:
3 Feb 2025
18 July 2026
MISSION VERIFIED
Classroom tested. Teacher designed. Safe at home.
Designed by Darin Carr (BScDip Ed)
Practising NESA accredited
Australian Science Teacher
★ 30+ years of classroom experience
MISSION PROGRESS
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Before you investigate... watch the mystery
MISSION HOOK
Professor Picklebottom and the team are travelling and collecting amazing science mysteries.
✔ Coming in Term 1 2027
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Mission Equipment
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
Candle (tea light works well)
Lighter (adult supervision)
Small cup or beaker
Baking soda
Vinegar
Spoon
Let’s Investigate
Follow the missions steps below to solve the mystery.
1
Think Like a Scientist
Fire needs three things to keep burning — a source of fuel, heat, and a gas.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
2
Light the Candle
Light the candle and watch carefully.
What do you think a flame needs to keep burning?
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
3
Add Baking Soda
Add baking soda to your cup.
This will be one part of the reaction.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
4
Pour in Vinegar
Watch closely.
Look for evidence that a new substance is being produced.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
5
Gather Evidence
Wait a few seconds.
Scientists look for clues.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
6
Test Your Prediction
Slowly tilt the cup toward the candle.
Do not pour the liquid.
Only allow the invisible gas to flow.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
7
Investigation 1 – Can You Do It Again?
The reaction has slowed down but the candle is still lit.
Do you think there is enough gas left in the cup to put the flame out a second time?
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
8
Multiple Candles
You put out one candle. What about two? Set up two candles side by side, close together.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
What do you think that gas might be?
And here is the real challenge:
if you could remove that gas from around the flame — without blowing, without pouring water, without even touching it — what do you think would happen to the fire?
1
Think Like a Scientist
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
What do you think that gas might be?
And here is the real challenge:
if you could remove that gas from around the flame — without blowing, without pouring water, without even touching it — what do you think would happen to the fire?
1
Think Like a Scientist
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
What do you think that gas might be?
And here is the real challenge:
if you could remove that gas from around the flame — without blowing, without pouring water, without even touching it — what do you think would happen to the fire?
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
What do you think that gas might be?
And here is the real challenge:
if you could remove that gas from around the flame — without blowing, without pouring water, without even touching it — what do you think would happen to the fire?
The Crazy Scientist LAB Learning System™
Every experiment follows The Crazy Scientist Lab Learning System™ — a simple way to help kids think like real scientists.
We
-
LINK to what they already know,
-
ACTIVATE curiosity through hands-on discovery
-
BUILD understanding that actually sticks.
Have you ever:
• Blown out birthday candles?
• Seen a campfire suddenly go out?
• Wondered why fires stop burning?
• Tried to put out a flame without touching it?
Today’s mission: Can you stop a fire using something completely invisible?
Watch carefully…
• You’ll create something you cannot see.
• It isn’t a liquid.
• It isn’t a solid.
• It can flow from one place to another.
• It can stop a flame from burning.
What do you think it is?
You discovered that:
• The fizzing reaction creates a gas.
• The gas can move through the air.
• The flame stops when oxygen is removed.
Where else might this happen in real life?
☐ Fire extinguishers
☐ Engines
☐ Mines
☐ Somewhere else?
"Want the full teacher guide? The Crazy Scientist Lab includes classroom delivery tips, how to manage the WOW moment, differentiation for Stage 2 & 3, — ready to teach tomorrow."
Think Like a Scientist
Scientists don't just do ONE experiment; they change one part of the experiment (independent variable) and then see how it affects another part of the experiment
(dependent variable)
Change ONE variable and test again.
What happens if you use more baking soda?
What happens if you wait longer before pouring the gas?
Dr Puddledrip’s Science Tip
Read the Science
What’s Really Happening?
When baking soda and vinegar mix, they create a new gas called carbon dioxide.
You can see the bubbles forming, but most of the gas is invisible.
The cup slowly fills with carbon dioxide.
Why Does The Gas Pour?
Carbon dioxide is heavier than air.
Instead of floating away, it sinks and collects inside the cup.
When you tilt the cup, the gas flows downward like an invisible liquid.
Why Does The Flame Go Out?
Fire needs three things:
🔥 Fuel
🔥 Heat
🔥 Oxygen
Take away one of these and the fire stops burning.
The carbon dioxide pushes the oxygen away from the flame.
Without oxygen, the fire goes out.
Curiosity Question
If carbon dioxide can put out a candle…
Could it put out a campfire?
A barbecue?
A house fire?
What would happen if you used a larger container?
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Scientist's Challenge
Designed for HPGE, gifted learners and children who enjoy an extra challenge.
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
The Next Question...
You've solved today's mystery. Now discover where curiosity can take you next.
The Carbon Dioxide Engineer Challenge
Design the strongest invisible fire extinguisher.
Keep the candle the same.
Change ONE variable:
□ Baking soda amount
□ Vinegar amount
□ Container size
□ Waiting time
Record:
Flame went out?
Time taken?
First attempt or multiple pours?
Pattern:
Which design created the most effective invisible extinguisher?
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Vocabulary
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
An invisible gas produced when baking soda and vinegar react.
Combustion
The chemical reaction that happens when something burns.
Density
A measure of how heavy something is for its size. Carbon dioxide is denser than air, so it sinks.
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Keep Exploring This Mystery
One experiment leads to even more amazing discoveries inside the Learning Universe.
Curiosity Files
BIG Questions & Discovery
Illustrated Facts
Explore • Discover
Road Trip Science
Discover science everywhere
The Teacher's Cauldron
Think. Experiment. Inspire
Books
Read • Explore
Videos
Watch & Learn
LAB Resources
Premium learning resources
- Coming Mid 2027
Could You Put Out a Fire Without Using Water?
Ready for Your Next Discovery?
READY TO TEACH THIS
TOMORROW?
Running the experiment is easy; however, teaching it well is another challenge.
Teachers often ask:
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What misconceptions will they have?
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What do I say when they ask WHY?
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