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Inflating a Balloon Hands-Free ~ Science Sunday

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Science Sunday

This experiment was so simple, it seems almost silly to post it. It seriously took me longer to round up a soda bottle to use for the experiment than it did to run the experiment. All that said, the kids absolutely loved it and we extended it a little bit by talking about the periodic table and elements.

Question of the Week…What would happen to a balloon with baking soda inside when placed on top of a soda bottle that had vinegar in it?

Items we used for this experiment:

~ soda bottle

~ one balloon

~ 2 Tbsp. baking soda

~ 8 Tbsp. vinegar

~ funnel & measuring spoon

Predictions and Experiment…

Each of the kids made a prediction about what they thought would happen ~ an explosion and mess, nothing, inflation, etc….

Zachary and Laurianna worked together measuring the baking soda and putting it into the balloon using a funnel.

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We added the vinegar into the soda bottle {after rinsing out our funnel} and then stretched the base of the balloon over the opening of the soda bottle, being careful not to drop any of the baking soda into the bottle.

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We then tipped the balloon up and let the baking soda fall into the bottle and the balloon quickly began to inflate.

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Fun, no?

The Nutshell Reason…

If you want the really technical reason, here is why…

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The reason really is simple though. The vinegar and the baking soda mix, forming a chemical reaction and creating a gas {carbon dioxide} that fills the balloon.

 

How to Do Science Experiments with Children Resource: How to Do Science Experiments with Children is available from Amazon and you can also check it out {and do some of the experiments} using Google Docs! The experiments use easy-to-find objects and also include record sheets for kids to fill out with their predictions and experiment results. Each experiment also includes teaching tips and explanations…which are rather handy! :)

Don’t forget to check out some other great science ideas at Science Sunday hosted by Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom.

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This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy .


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