Blow-Up a Balloon Using Science! Ages 3+
Using items easily found at home, you can blow up a balloon without using your mouth or your own breath! This isn’t magic; it’s science!
Why?
This experiment demonstrates how states of matter can change – mixing a solid with a liquid to create gas! The science, behind this balloon baking soda experiment, is the chemical reaction between the base – baking soda – and the acid – vinegar. When the two ingredients mix together the balloon baking soda experiment gets its lift! The gas produced from the two ingredients is carbon dioxide or CO2.
Vocabulary:
- Inflate
- Fizz
- Gas
- Expand
- Observe
- Extra Credit Word: Exothermic (absorbs heat, so it feels cold)
Materials:
- Empty 12-16 oz soda bottle (or any bottle about that size with a small neck)
- Balloon
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Small funnel
- Teaspoon
- Small measuring cup
Directions:
- Have your children scoop the baking soda into the balloon using the funnel
- Help your children put the vinegar into the flask using a pipette or small measuring cup
- Next, attach the balloon to the top of the flask; make sure not to pour the baking soda into the
vinegar! - Ask your children what might happen, and why.
- Count to 3 and everyone holds up their balloon so the baking soda falls into the vinegar,
creating a chemical reaction and blowing up their balloon. - Let the kids know what will happen scientifically – SCIENCE:
a. When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, it creates a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas begins to expand in the bottle and starts to inflate the balloon. The more gas that is created, the larger the balloon will inflate.
