Experimenting With Science: Exploring Gas

After the kids started going to school, I got back into babysitting.  I have become obsessed with Pinterest-once I log on, unless the house is on fire, I have a lot of trouble getting off.  I have come across a plethora of kids' ideas there, and found some really neat experiments, crafts, etc,etc....  One website I stumbled on was www.momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com.  This particular website had a post called, "Exploring Gas w/Balloons, Baking Soda and Vinegar.

What You Need:

baking soda

vinegar

plastic bottle

balloon

funnel

What To Do:

1. Using your funnel, pour vinegar into your bottle.

You only need to fill about 1/3 of the bottle.

2. Using another (dry) funnel, pour baking soda into your balloon.

Fill the balloon approx. 1/2 way.

3. Cover the top of the bottle with your balloon.

Make sure you don't let the baking soda spill into the bottle prematurely.

                         4. When ready, lift your balloon and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar.

5. Watch as the mixture fizzes, bubbles & expands your balloon!

                                Repeat! Believe me, your kids will want to do this more than once.

It was lots of fun to watch the ingredients combine

and form a reaction that was so visual - blowing up the balloon.

The science behind it - Baking soda and the vinegar create an ACID-BASE reaction. When combined/mixed they create a gas - carbon dioxide. Gasses need room to spread, so the carbon dioxide fills the bottle and then moves into the balloon inflating it.

Now, go ahead and try it.  You know you want to!  

www.kidscreateabooks.com