Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment

Try this experiment at home to learn about chemical reactions.  For this experiment you will need the following:

1. Balloons
2. Small funnel or a small piece of paper rolled up in a funnel shape
3. Baking soda
4. Vinegar
5. Small clean empty bottle

Directions

1. Using the funnel, add 3 teaspoons of baking soda to each balloon.
2. Fill each bottle 1/3 full with vinegar
3. Without dropping in the baking soda, fit the balloon over the bottle opening
4. Hold up the balloon and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar

Why it Works

A chemical reaction is when a substance combines with another substance to produce a new substance.  When the vinegar and baking soda combine, they produce a chemical reaction and form carbon dioxide gas, CO2. The gas molecules hit the sides of the balloon and the pressure blows it up. The more gas that is formed, the more molecules there will be. So, the more the chemical reaction there is, the larger the balloon will become.