5 Science Experiments you can do with a lemon

Lemons are a small, yellow citrus fruit that taste sour, smell good and can be used for lots of very simple science experiments as they are acidic.

I’ve collected 5 of my favourite science experiments using lemons for you to try at home. All are very easy and don’t use many resources other than the lemon!

Make a lemon sink

Lemons have a thick, porous skin which allows them to float, but there is a way to make a lemon sink. You just need to remove the skin!

Image of a container of water with a lemon floating on the surface of the water and a lemon with no skin on the bottom of the jar.

Make a lemon battery

The juice inside a lemon can act as an electrolyte in a lemon battery!

You’ll need copper wire or a copper coin and a zinc ( galvanised ) nail to make a battery with a lemon.

a lemon battery made with a zinc nail and a copper coin

Blow up a balloon with lemon juice

Lemon juice is acidic, if you mix it with an alkali ( base ) such as bicarbonate of soda the two will react to neutralise each other releasing carbon dioxide gas as a by product.

If you add a little lemon juice to a clean, empty bottle, and then pop a bit if bicarbonate of soda into a balloon and place the balloon on top of the bottle so the bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda ) tips into the lemon juice, the carbon dioxide released will fill the bottle and then inflate the balloon!

Make fizzy lemons

Make fizzy lemons by adding a little baking soda directly to half a lemon and mixing it. Add a little food colouring for more colourful, fizzy fun.

a lemon filled with baking soda to make it fizz as a science experiment

Drop a lemon into a glass

Learn about the law of inertia with this easy demonstration of Newton’s First Law.

A pint glass with a sheet of cardboard on top, with a black cardboard cylinder and a lemon on top

Make homemade lemonade

Use lemons, baking soda and water to make your own fizzy lemonade! You can find a super easy recipe for this in Snackable Science.

Invisible ink with lemon juice

Create your own invisible ink with lemon juice. This is a very simple science activity that is great for kids of all ages. Older children can experiment with lemons, limes and other acids. Write a message on white paper with lemon juice and then place in an oven to reveal it!