Blow-up Balloon
Find out about chemical reactions and gases using things around the house!
This activity may be Fiddly
Find out about chemical reactions and gases using things around the house!
This activity may be Fiddly
What you'll need
Gather your supplies from the list above.
1.
Half fill the bottle with vinegar.
2.
Using a funnel, half fill the balloon with baking soda. It helps if you’ve pre-stretched the balloon by blowing it up. You can make a funnel by rolling up a piece of paper.
3.
Carefully place the balloon over the neck of the bottle and allow it to droop over to the side, making sure none of the baking soda falls into the bottle.
4.
Lift the end of the balloon and pour the baking soda into the bottle. Shake well and place the bottle on a table. Watch the balloon inflate all by itself!
- What happens if you use more baking soda? Or more vinegar?
- Time how long it takes to inflate and then repeat the experiment. Were the times similar?
- Try using a different size balloon and see what effect it has.
- What happens if you use a bigger or smaller bottle?
When you add the baking soda to the vinegar it causes a reaction. That reaction releases a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2).
Because the balloon forms a seal around the bottle, the gas produced cannot escape, so it fills up the balloon.
Carbon dioxide is used to produce carbonated soft drinks and soda water. Traditionally, the carbonation in beer and sparkling wine came about through natural fermentation, but many manufacturers now carbonate these drinks artificially.
You might like
