Balloon Reaction

Materials
1 Water bottle
Baking soda
Vinegar 
Balloon
Funnel
Measuring spoons

For this activity, students observed that when baking soda and vinegar react in a water bottle that is enclosed by a balloon, the balloon will inflate.

First, the students placed the balloon at the tip of the funnel. Next, they measured 4 teaspoons of baking soda into the funnel with the attached balloon. Next, the students measured 4 teaspoons of vinegar and added that to the water bottle. Then, I removed the balloon from the funnel and helped to attach it to the water bottle(making sure I did not pour the baking soda in just yet) and allowed the student to make the reaction. The result was a slightly inflated balloon above the water bottle.


The amount of baking soda and vinegar added to the balloon and water bottle is to the teacher's discretion. During the C.L.A.R.E. program at DNA, I started by using 4 teaspoons of baking soda and vinegar, but added a little more to other students bottles to see if the balloon would get bigger. The results were positive. Adding more vinegar rather than baking soda caused greater inflation of the balloon.

Kelsey and I also found similar results as Erike when we tried this experiment with the kindergartners. The first attempt, we didn't put enough vinegar in, and the balloon did not expand much. We concluded that we needed more vinegar, and added an extra teaspoon of of vinegar.