Science Projects to Blow Up a Balloon
Science projects that involve using common gases to blow up balloons will teach students and their classmates more about gases and air pressure. Gases can be created using common household items. Show your students that there are, in fact, other ways to blow up balloons besides the tried-and-true method of using oxygen.
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Vinegar and Baking Soda
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Combining vinegar and baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas, which you can use to blow up a balloon. Take a plastic water bottle and pour about 1/2 inch each of vinegar and water into it. Using a funnel, fill half of a balloon with baking soda. Place the end of the balloon tightly over the top of the water bottle, allowing the heavy end of the balloon to dangle so that nothing escapes. Pinch the top of the bottle before tipping the heavy end of the balloon up so that the baking soda falls. Watch the balloon expand. This activity is ideal for late elementary and middle school students as they learn about chemical reactions.
Yeast and Water
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Another method of filling a balloon with carbon dioxide is to use yeast and warm water. Insert the end of a funnel into a balloon. Pour 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast and 5 tablespoons of sugar into the balloon. Fill a measuring cup with warm water and add it to the balloon. Remove the funnel and tie off the end of the balloon. Measure a latex balloon and place it in a warm area. Return after 30 minutes and see how much the balloon has expanded. This experiment can be conducted by children of any school age as it is fairly simple.
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Dry Ice
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This experiment can be used to prove the differences in weight between gases. Blow up a balloon with air and tie it off. Place a small piece of dry ice into a plastic water bottle. Fit a balloon over the top of the bottle. The balloon will begin to inflate as the dry ice turns to gas. Shake the bottle to make the balloon inflate more quickly. Tie off the end of the balloon when it is full so that no gas escapes. Drop both balloons at the same time to see which balloon hits the ground first. This experiment is best for middle school students, who should be able to understand the process of sublimation.
Balloon in a Bottle
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This experiment is best for older students who are learning about air pressure. Slip a balloon into the neck of a plastic bottle while holding the end of the balloon tight. Stretch it over the top of the bottle from the inside. Try to blow up the balloon and record what happens. Remove it and fill the plastic bottle to the brim with warm water. Cap the bottle. Place a hole in the side with a nail close to the bottom. Drain most of the water before reinserting the balloon. Blow into the balloon again and see how much difference the hole makes. Air pressure causes the balloon to remain deflated at first, but the hole in the bottle allows air to escape and you are able to blow up the balloon.
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References
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