Bicarbonate soda and vinegar are ingredients found in a lot of pantries. And there are so many experiments you can do with them. Here is a simple one, and the only extra things you need are a bottle (for example, an empty soft drink bottle) and a balloon.
What you’ll need:
- bicarbonate (bicarb) soda/baking soda
- vinegar
- empty soft drink bottle
- vinegar
Steps:
- Stretch the top of the balloon. You can blow some air into it and let it all out if you like.
- Put bicarb soda in the uninflated balloon to fill it to about halfway. You will need to stretch the mouth wide open or use a funnel.
- Pour half – one cup vinegar into the bottle (you might need a funnel or jug to avoid spills).
- Put the opening of the balloon over the opening of the bottle.
- Lift the balloon up so that the bicarb soda falls into the bottle. You might need to hold the end of the balloon on the top of bottle to make sure it can’t fly off.
What happens:
When the bicarb soda falls into the bottle and mixes with the vinegar you get a chemical reaction which makes carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Because the balloon is over the top of the bottle, creating an air-tight container, the carbon dioxide gas can’t escape. As a result, the gas moves upwards and the balloon starts to inflate.