The elephant toothpaste experiment is a popular science experiment that creates a foamy substance by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using potassium iodide or yeast and warm water as a catalyst. The experiment is named "elephant toothpaste" because the foam produced looks like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube, but it is not toothpaste, so it should not be used as such. The experiment is simple and requires only a few ingredients, making it a popular experiment for children to perform in school or at parties.

Here are the steps to perform the elephant toothpaste experiment:

• Mix about 50 ml of concentrated (>12%) hydrogen peroxide with liquid soap or dishwashing detergent.
• Add a catalyst, often around 10 ml potassium iodide solution or catalase from bakers yeast, to make the hydrogen peroxide decompose very quickly.
• Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water. As a small amount of hydrogen peroxide generates a large volume of oxygen, the oxygen quickly pushes out of the container.
• The soapy water traps the oxygen, creating bubbles, and turns into foam.
• About 5-10 drops of food coloring could also be added before the catalyst to dramatize the effect.

The experiment shows the catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposes into water and oxygen gas, which is in the form of foam. The yeast or potassium iodide acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction, creating lots of bubbles. The foam produced is just water, soap, and oxygen, so it can be cleaned up with a sponge and poured down the drain.

The elephant toothpaste experiment is a fun and educational way to learn about chemical reactions and catalysts. It can also be modified to become a true experiment by changing variables such as the amount of yeast used or the size of the bottle to see how it affects the amount of foam produced.