Self-Inflating Balloon Experiment

Science experiments are so much fun and they’re a great way to keep the kiddo’s busy for a while. This one here is by far our most favorite! It’s the reaction between vinegar and baking soda.

When combined, these two ingredients create a harmless gas called carbon dioxide (CO2).

This mixture causes the ingredients to fizzle and bubble over like a volcano! But watch what happens when you trap this gas in a bottle with a latex balloon over the rim. (Watch the video blog at the bottom of this post)

Here’s what you’ll need:

¾ Cup Vinegar

2 Tbs baking soda

Funnel

Plastic bottle

Balloon

 

Step 1.

Pour the vinegar into the plastic bottle

Step 2.

Using your funnel, spoon in the baking soda into your balloon

Step 3.

Place the rim of the balloon over the rim of the bottle

Step 4.

Lift the end of the balloon to allow the baking soda to fall into the vinegar and watch what happens!

I love that this is also a teaching experiment. Before you begin, ask your kids what they think is going to happen when they mix the ingredients together.