Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloons
These baking soda and vinegar balloons were so much fun! Mix everything together and watch as the reaction creates carbon dioxide and inflates the balloons! As far as science experiments go, this is a pretty simple one. I love that we had all of the materials needed for it at home already, and that it was quick and easy to put together! And on top of that, it was pretty darn cool to watch the balloon inflate all by itself!
How you do it:
- Use a funnel to add 1/3 cup baking soda to the inside of a balloon.
- Fill a plastic bottle with approximately 1 cup vinegar.
- Attach the balloon to the mouth of the plastic bottle, then lift the balloon upright so the baking soda falls and causes the reaction.
The science behind it:
So how does it work? The vinegar and the baking soda mix together to make an acid-base reaction. The reaction creates carbon dioxide gas that bubbles up from the mixture. The gas expands up and out of the bottle and inflates the balloon.
Another cool thing about these balloons is that carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so when you drop the balloon, you’ll notice that it falls to the ground faster than a regular balloon filled with air! (So no, these balloons definitely don’t float!)
