Hooked on Science: Expanding balloon

Materials

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Balloon
• Empty 2-liter bottle

Instructions

• STEP 1: Fill the empty 2-liter bottle halfway with the vinegar. Describe and classify the vinegar by its observable properties.
• STEP 2: Fill the balloon with baking soda. Describe and classify the baking soda by its observable properties.
• STEP 3: Carefully stretch the open end of the balloon around the neck of the 2-liter bottle.
• STEP 4: Dump the baking soda inside the balloon into the 2-liter bottle and observe. Did mixing the two substances result in a new substance?

Explanation

When the baking soda is mixed with the vinegar, a chemical reaction happens, which creates carbon-dioxide gas. The gas fills the balloon, causing it to expand.