Science Projects With Balloons & Baking Soda
Balloons and baking soda are common entities used in science projects. Balloons work well for gas experiments and as a measuring device. Baking soda is a common alkaline used in pH experiments. You'll find a few experiments that utilize either item, but even more that use one or the other.
Other People Are Reading
-
Inflating Balloon with Carbon Dioxide
-
Create carbon dioxide with this experiment to blow up a balloon. Pour 3 tsp. of baking power into the balloon. Fill an empty bottle one-third of the way with vinegar --- a small soda bottle will do.
Place the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Shake the balloon so that baking soda falls down into the bottle. As the baking soda mixes with the vinegar it will create carbon dioxide and inflate the balloon. The balloon will likely pop.
Yeast Fermentation under Different Conditions
-
When yeast breaks down (ferments) it creates carbon dioxide. This experiment examines what conditions cause yeast to be most active during fermentation. Label five clean, empty soda bottles: "1 -- No Sugar"; "2 - Sugar"; "3 - Sugar and Salt"; "4 - Sugar and Baking Soda"; and "5 - Sugar and Vinegar."
Add a tablespoon of sugar to bottles 2 through 4. Add a tablespoon of salt to bottle 3, a tablespoon of baking soda to bottle 4, and a tablespoon of vinegar to bottle 5. Fill each bottle about a third of the way with warm water; replace lid and shake. Add a packet of yeast to each bottle. Gently shake bottles to mix. Remove lids and place different colored balloons over the mouth of each bottle. Let the bottles rest for an hour in a warm area. Tie off each balloon with string and remove them from the bottles. Fill a large container with water and mark the waterline. One at a time, place the balloons into the water and mark the new waterlines created by each balloon. Through water displacement this will show you which balloon produced the most carbon dioxide. Create a graph that illustrates the results.
-
Acid/Base Chemistry
-
Squeeze the juice from a lemon into a small cup or jar. In a second jar, add a tablespoon of baking soda along with a teaspoon of dish detergent. Pour the lemon juice into the baking soda/dish detergent mixture and watch it erupt. The experiment demonstrates the reaction between an acid (lemon) and a base (baking soda). The dish soap will help it foam even more.
Balloon Car
-
You'll need a small- to medium-size balloon, wheels --- from an old toy or discarded CDs, empty cardboard boxes and something to serve as axles --- small dowels or chop sticks will do.
Punch a hole into one end of a shoe box or cracker box. Make two sets of holes on each side of the box so they are directly across from each other. Pass the"axles" through these holes so they stick out a few inches from each side. Attach the wheels firmly to the axles. Place the balloon inside the box and pull its opening through the hole in the back of the box. Inflate the balloon and squeeze the end to keep it from deflating. Place the car on a smooth surface; let go of the balloon and watch it go.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
