Balloon Experiment

Chemistry for Kids!

Create your own chemical reaction and watch a balloon inflate on its own!.

Baking soda is a chemical called sodium bicarbonate and it reacts with vinegar. Vinegar is called acetic acid. These two chemicals react and form something new. 

Ingredients: 

• Small soda bottle/water bottle 

• Balloon

• Baking Soda

• Vinegar

• Funnel (can make one with paper if you don't have a funnel) 

• Teaspoon (or regular spoon is fine) 

Directions:

1. Using your funnel, pour about a third of a cup of vinegar into the bottle.

2.  Put the funnel into the mouth of the balloon

3. Pour 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda into the balloon (be sure not to use too much baking soda, because it could cause an explosion, which will be a mess!)

4. Remove the funnel from the ballon, and put the opening of the balloon around the bottle without letting any of the baking soda fall into the bottle

5. Secure the opening of the balloon around the bottle and hold with your hand

6. Lift the end of the balloon allowing for the baking soda to fall into the bottle

7. Watch the balloon blow up on its own!

The science behind the experiment:

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, it creates a gas called carbon dioxide.  The gas begins to expand in the bottle and starts to inflate the balloon.  The more gas that is created, the larger the balloon will inflate!