Attempt verification team
Photo: Christian Schultz Nielsen
Elephant's Toothpaste attempt
Photo: Christian Schultz Nielsen

UPDATE: Hundreds of campus community members congregated on Johnston Green to watch the University of Guelph Physics and Astronomy Club attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest Elephant’s Toothpaste.

“The attempt went better than we could have hoped for and we’re hopeful that we broke the record,” reads the club’s official statement.

Video footage and documentation from the event now goes to Guinness World Records in London, England for verification. The results of the attempt will be shared back with the club following a meticulous and thorough assessment.

See photos from the attempt.

Check back for updates!


On May 9, the University of Guelph Physics and Astronomy Club will attempt to make its way into the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records. You’re invited to be there for this historic moment!

Elephant’s Toothpaste is a popular science experiment that mixes peroxide, soap and a catalyst to create an eruption of safe, soapy foam.

The Physics Club is taking that reaction to a whole new level. The club will create a batch of Elephant’s Toothpaste using a 25-gallon drum with the hope of generating more than 13 cubic metres of foam in seconds. Their goal is to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest Elephant’s Toothpaste ever created.

“Our goal is to not only break a Guinness World Record,” says Jason “Orbax” Thomas, science communication officer for the Department of Physics, “but also to inspire the next generation of scientists by giving them an exciting, fun, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness something of this magnitude.”

The record-breaking attempt will take place Thursday, May 9 at 11:45 a.m. on Johnston Green as part of the Guelph Science Olympics. The event is free and open to the public.