Hooked on Science: Pop a balloon inside a balloon

Materials

• Magnifying glass
• Black balloon
• Clear balloon

Instructions

• STEP 1: Push the black balloon inside the clear balloon. Inflate the black balloon. Tie the black balloon.
• STEP 2: Inflate the clear balloon so the black balloon can move freely inside the clear balloon. Tie the clear balloon.
• STEP 3: Using the magnifying glass, focus the sun's rays through the clear balloon, to the black balloon, and observe. Describe what happens when you place the clear balloon in the path of the rays of sunlight. Provide evidence that energy was transferred to the black balloon by the rays of sunlight.

Explanation

The black balloon pops quickly. The magnifying glass allows you to concentrate the sun's rays through the transparent balloon to one spot on the opaque or black balloon, which eventually weakens the rubber, causing the balloon to pop. The black balloon pops while the transparent balloon stays inflated. The black balloon absorbs the sun's rays, which cause the balloon to heat up faster.