{ Balloon Experiment }

Balloon Experiment

Blowing up the balloon without air

Experimenting with Baking Soda and Vinegar is definitely a favorite activity here. In the past, we’ve done a BS&V Volcano, and BS&V Food Coloring Fun. Today, after picking Lorelai up from school and eating lunch, I gathered the materials for today’s experiment. We hadn’t been out on the patio in a few weeks, so everything was dusty and there were leaves everywhere. It’s unavoidable with the location of our patio – it’s right at the corner of another building, so the wind blows everything onto it… annoying! We ignored it for the time being and got on with the experiment. I remember doing this one in Girl Scouts many, many, MANY years ago! Lorelai enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed it back then.

She helped pour the vinegar and water into the water bottle. She helped spoon the baking soda into the balloon. She observed what happened when the two mixed: the bubbling up of the liquid, the balloon inflating with the gases from the mixture, and the stinkiness when the balloon was removed from the water bottle (haha).

Materials Needed:

• Plastic bottle
• Vinegar & Water (equal parts)
• Baking Soda
• Balloon
• Spoon (or a funnel)

Directions:

1. Fill an empty water bottle with equal part vinegar and water. We did about an inch of each.
2. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of baking soda into your balloon by holding the tip open. (You can blow into the balloon to semi-inflate it first – it will make things easier.)
3. Make sure all of the baking soda is in the round part of the balloon. Then, attach the end of the balloon carefully to the mouth of the water bottle, allowing the baking soda part of the balloon to hang down.
4. When ready, have your child grasp the balloon at the base around the mouth of the water bottle, and gently lift up to pour the baking soda into the water bottle.
5. Observe as the balloon inflates!

Note: Ours didn’t blow up completely. You can add more vinegar and less water if you want your balloon to inflate completely. I didn’t want to risk it popping so I did a half & half solution.