Hooked on Science: Balloon in a bottle

Can you blow up a balloon in a bottle? Here's another experiment that might get you and your family "Hooked on Science."

Materials

* 1-liter soda bottle

* Balloon

* Nail

Instructions

STEP 1: Place the balloon into the bottle and stretch the opening of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

STEP 2: Placing your mouth over the mouth of the bottle attempt to blow up the balloon.

STEP 3: Using the nail, make a hole in the bottle near the bottom. Placing your mouth over the mouth of the bottle and attempt to blow up the balloon.

Explanation

The air trapped in the bottom of the bottle keeps you from blowing up the balloon. When you placed the nail hole in the bottle, the air escaped, allowing you to blow up the balloon.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website "Hooked On Science" at hooked­onscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.