expanding balloon experiment

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How to Demonstrate Charles's Law

Last Updated: April 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA . Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 251,749 times.

Charles's Law states that the volume of an ideal gas changes proportionally to the temperature of that gas, given that pressure and amount of gas present are held constant. The equation for Charles's law can be expressed as V 1 /T 1 =V 2 /T 2 . In other words, if a balloon is filled with air, it will shrink if cooled and expand if heated. This happens because the air inside the balloon, which is a gas, takes up a smaller volume when it is cool, and takes up a larger volume when it is heated.

Demonstrating Charles’s Law with an Inflated Balloon

• Do not let the balloon expand too much, as this may cause it to pop.

Demonstrating Charles’s Law by Expanding and Contracting a Balloon

• It may be easier and safer to put the balloon on the flask before heating the water.

Demonstrating Charles’s Law Mathematically

Expert Q&A

• Try heating a cold balloon in hot tap water and see if it expands. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1
• Use party balloons instead of water balloons. Water balloons are made to burst easier. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Note that, when using the method “Demonstrating Charles’s Law by Expanding and Contracting a Balloon,” accurate measurements of the balloon’s circumference are difficult to make. This method works best for a purely visual demonstration. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

• If you are using boiling water, exercise caution. You could easily be burned. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Be careful not to let the balloon expand too much. This will cause it to burst. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

Things You’ll Need

• Party Balloons
• Heat Source
• Erlenmeyer Flask
• Party Balloon
• Heat Resistant Gloves

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplVuTrr59U?=youtu.bet=75
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplVuTrr59U?=youtu.bet=58
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplVuTrr59U?=youtu.bet=99
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplVuTrr59U?=youtu.bet=117
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplVuTrr59U?=youtu.bet=121
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDJgF9H580?=youtu.b&t=20
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDJgF9H580?=youtu.bet=34
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDJgF9H580?=youtu.bet=53
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDJgF9H580?=youtu.b&t=60
• ↑ http://www.chemteam.info/GasLaw/Gas-Charles.html
• ↑ https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Map%3A_A_Molecular_Approach_(Tro)/05%3A_Gases/5.03%3A_The_Simple_Gas_Laws-_Boyles_Law_Charless_Law_and_Avogadros_Law

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Balloon In Hot and Cold Water – Experiment

• March 30, 2021
• 7-9 Year Olds , Household Items , Physics

Let’s discuss about ‘Balloon in hot and cold water experiment’ in this article. This interesting balloon experiment helps children to learn about density , surface tension , and air pressure .

Balloon in hot and cold water experiment

• The volume of air changes based on the temperature surrounding it.
• Air expands or contracts based on increase or decrease in surrounding temperature.

Things you need to do Balloon Experiment

1) Two plastic/ glass container (bottles)

2) Balloons

3) Hot Water

4) Ice cubes as a cold water source

5) Containers to place hot and cold water

Preparation Steps

1) You can prepare your children or students by asking “How can you inflate the Balloon without touching it?”.

2) Note down their expected answers. But discuss their solutions only after performing the experiment to catch the science concepts behind it easily.

Step by Step Directions

Let’s start with the hot air experiment.

Step-1: 

Take a glass container and add cold water. Then, add few ice cubes to it to keep it cold.

Step-2: 

Pick another glass container and add some amount of hot water into it. Ensure the hot water’s hotness need not to be sizzling.

As step 3, bring our Balloon over the neck or mouth of the crystal clear plastic bottle in an upside-down position. And fix the mouth of the Balloon to the mouth of the bottle as shown in the picture.

Make sure the bottle is empty before you attach the Balloon to it.

Repeat the same method and prepare another set of water bottle and Balloon using the other empty bottle.

In this step, keep the ballon attached bottle inside the container, which consists of hot water. Let the bottle sit in hot water for some time.

You will observe the Balloon starts inflating itself without any external force. Amazing, isn’t it!?

Step-5: 

And then bring the same and another set of water bottle into the container which consists of cold water. And allow it to sit for some time to see the results.

You will observe the Balloon starts shrinking itself by deflating the air inside it.

Note:  If you feel the hot water is becoming cool, replace it with another hot water cup. In the same way, if you feel the cold water is becoming hot due to outside temperature impact, add some more ice cubes and make it cool. In this way, you can maintain the temperatures of the water while repeating the experiments.

Science Behind Expanding Balloon on Hot Water

The quantity of air occupied in a particular space, i.e., an open or closed container, denotes ‘Volume.’ 

Well, an empty water bottle is also populated with a certain amount of air molecules inside it—the air molecules inside and outside the bottle move with equal pressures at normal surrounding conditions.

In this activity, when we attach a balloon over the bottle’s mouth and place it in a hot water container, the Balloon starts inflating. It is because the hot air molecules enter into the Balloon from the bottle, which is in a hot water container.

These hot air molecules move faster inside the Balloon and occupy more space as they become less dense than usual. When they become less dense, it requires more space to settle, and that is why the Balloon starts inflating to provide more space for hot air molecules.

And when the Balloon inflates in hot water, bring it into the container containing cold water. Here, the cold air molecules replace the hot air molecules because hot air molecules cool down due to cold water.

When the air molecules become colder, air molecules’ density gets back to a denser state and requires less space to occupy. That is why the inflated Balloon deflates when the bottle is placed inside a cold water container.

This is how the volume of air calculated:

Volume= Mass x Density

Safety Tips

Have adult supervision at all times during the experiment to avoid any unforeseen incidents.

Suggested to wear gloves and safety glasses while doing experiments with hot water.

Avoid handling hot water by small kids.

Learning for Elementary, Middle School, and High School Students

The same experiment can be used differently based on the level /grade of the students.

Elementary Students

When kids are in elementary school, it is the best time to learn about different states of matter, i.e., solids, liquids, and gases. Solids and liquids are visible to the naked eye, and hence students can easily catch up with the properties and characteristics. And it is easy for them to compare various objects and liquid things and determine the state of matter properties.

But when coming to gases, it is difficult for them to determine their properties because gases won’t appear to the naked eye, and children go confused. That is why we need to explain them clearly by concentrating much on performing various science experiments that involve gases. One such experiment is the ‘Balloon in a bottle’ experiment.

Through this experiment, students can quickly learn about gases and their properties.

Middle School Students

In middle school, students focus on macroscopic particles and determine the objects around them and tell whether they have solid or liquid or gaseous properties. Because at this level, they will get to learn about states of matter in regards to their arrangement, position, and movement. Also, they can explore that all forms of matter are made of atoms and molecules that consist of weight, especially gases. As the air is invisible, they think that gases do not have mass, but they learn about gases containing mass with this experiment.

Besides, they can explain the conservation of matter with a good reason using the concept of closed systems.

High School Students

At this level, as the name suggests, students become sharp and can apply their knowledge on gases. This knowledge helps in understanding even the difficult context of gases, i.e., ‘Gas Laws.’ Also, they can apply Charles Law and explain Gas Law. And using conservation of matter principles and laws, they will make out the differences in temperatures and their relation to the volume of gas.

In this way, students at different school grades learn the gaseous properties by performing this super classic experiment of ‘Balloon in a Bottle.’

Laws Behind the Experiment

Gas Law or Gas Laws is/are a collection of laws which include Boyle’s Law, Charles’s Law, Gay-Lussac’s Law, Ideal Gas Law, and Avogadro’s Law. These laws combine to state how an amount of gas reacts to changes in temperature, pressure, and temperature. The following are such statements these combined laws work on:

1) The complete temperature of a gas

2) The amount of volume working with a gas

3) The amount of pressure experienced between the walls of a container and a gas

4) The mass of a gas

The above-mentioned combination laws were a great invention during the 18th century, and here are the definitions of each law:

    Boyle’s Law:  The law which states the kith and kin between the volume and pressure of a given amount of gas is nothing but Boyle’s Law.

    Charles’s Law:  Charles’s Law is the law that tells about the absolute temperature of a gas and its association with the volume employed by it. 

    Avogadro’s Law:  The type of law which states the correlation between the number of moles of a gas and the amount of volume occupied by it refers to Avogadro’s Law. 

    Gay-Lussac’s Law:  Gay-Lussac’s Law tells that the relation between the absolute temperature and its pressure is directly proportional at constant volume. 

    Ideal Gas Law:  Ideal gas law is a combination of three laws, i.e., Boyle’s Law, Charles’s Law, Avogadro’s Law, and hence refers to the term ‘combined gas law.’ This law states the differential behavior of gases at different conditions and concludes that a gas’s pressure is directly proportional to the absolute temperature. 

Pressure, volume, and temperature are the three significant physical factors that determine the behavior of gases. When these parameters are at standard conditions, the activities of all types of gases remain the same. The states of gases can vary based on the condition. 

So, the gas law and all other five laws state all gases’ behavior is associating with all three physical parameters.

Boyle’s Law Formula: P∝1/V

Charles’s Law Formula: V∝T

Avogadro’s Law Formula: V ∝ n

Ideal Gas Law Formula: PV= nRT

Gay-Lussac’s Law Formula: P ∝ T

Here, P= Pressure of the gas, V= Volume of the gas, T= Absolute Temperature of a gas, n= Number of moles, R= Equilibrium Constant.

Here are some worksheets that would complement the science experiment. Attempting these worksheets might help studnets to sustain the knowledge gained through the experiment. On the other hand, teachers use these worksheets to understand and monitor student’s previous and current knowledge.

https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/files/activity_files/BalloonOnBottle_0.pdf

https://www.flinnsci.com/api/library/Download/e2dfff9fc2324f51889429583a51ac63

https://ps21pd.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/0/6/12065719/kinetic_theory_-_hot_and_cold_balloons.pdf

https://www.sciencenorth.ca/sites/default/files/2020/June%202%20Grade%207%20Particle%20Theory%20Offline%20ENG.pdf

Practical Applications

Let’s learn how to apply these science concepts in real life applications happening around us.

Hot air balloon:  Yes, the science behind hot air balloon and Balloon in the bottle activities is similar, i.e., hot air rises, sending the cool air to replace the space created by it. When you provide heat flames in the hot air balloon set up, the heat energy enters into the Balloon.

Generally, the hot air consists of less dense air molecules, which tend to rise. That’s why and the hot air balloon rises in the sky until they provide enough heat.

Not only air, any substance that exhibits less dense molecules than the surrounding gaseous or liquid matters float . Forex: Wood floats on top of the water because wood consists of less dense molecules than water. This phenomenon of increasing the molecules’ speed regarding the increase in temperature of a gas refers to ‘Thermal Expansion.’ And the wonder of floating objects due to the pressure or force exerted is ‘Buoyancy.’

Sun Producing Wind on Earth:  The winds produced by Sun on the Earth also exhibit the same phenomenon, i.e., thermal expansion and buoyancy.

Earth’s temperature is uncertain, so we cannot predict its long-term weather and climatic conditions. It is because different parts of Earth receive heat from Sunlight at different times as Earth is round and rotating.

So, the Sun can’t provide Sunlight to all parts of the Earth at the same time. Hence, Earth receives different air temperatures at places closer to the surface of the Earth. Besides, the Sun’s angle is focussing its Sunlight on the Earth also plays a significant role in changing the temperatures of Earth.

According to the above concepts, several continents on Earth receive more heat than other continents. Comparing land and water, land absorbs more heat faster than water, and therefore we see continents with more land exhibits high temperatures.

But during nights land releases heat more quickly than air and hence we feel cooler climates at night time. In this way, Earth reveals different climatic conditions and atmospheric temperatures during the day and night times.

Let us discuss these concepts in detail with a practical example, i.e., Off-shore and On-shore Winds. During nights, the oceans’ surface gets warmer so quickly because the surrounding land cools down and shows lesser temperatures.

As a result, the warmer air becomes less dense and rises upwards, leaving the space on the surface occupied by the cold air from the land. Thus, creating the off-shore winds that produce renewable and pure energy.

And at daytime, we experience on-shore winds that mean the land absorbs more heat from the Sun and exhibits warmer air. This hot air does not remain on the land surface; instead, it rises into the air because it consists of less dense air molecules.

Simultaneously, the temperature at the ocean level exhibits less heat than the land surface temperature. So, the cold air from the ocean surface replaces the hot air molecules’ space creating on-shore winds.

Lesson Plan

Here is the best lesson plan on the ‘Balloon in hot and cold water’ experiment.

Preparations

1) Ask the students whether they can inflate the Balloon without touching it. Note down their answers and discuss their solutions after the experiment.

2) First, invite your student’s answers and discuss their solutions with a scientific reason.

3) You can encourage and inspire students by telling them that they are upcoming engineers, chemists, and other respectable designations. Forex: if a student predicts the answer would be ‘by adding baking soda and vinegar,’ explain why his response went wrong. Then, encourage him by saying he/she is thinking smartly like a chemist. In this way, depending on their predictions, a teacher can inspire them with specific designations.  

4) If a student does not respond to your challenge of inflating a balloon without touching it, then give him an example and ask him/her to compare. Let the student come up with his/her answer with a bit of explanation.

Guide your students on the instructions of the ‘Balloon in hot and cold water’ experiment step by step, clearly as mentioned at the top of this post. You can also ask and discuss a few questions related to the subject while experimenting. Such that students feel more encouraged and involved in the topic rather than feeling bored.

Here are the basic questions you can discuss with students:

1) Why does the Balloon inflated on itself?

2) What is the difference between hot and cold water changes and their impact on the Balloon?

3) How long the Balloon takes time to inflate itself in hot water?

Explain about Misconceptions

Students think that hot air blows up the Balloon as the hot air rises upwards. But prove it as a misconception by reversing the bottle with an inflated balloon. Still, the Balloon remains inflated without deflating. It is because hot air rises when there is cold air beside it.

Finally, explain the background science involved in this experiment and discuss students’ predicted answers with a scientific reason. Tell them clearly that their answers may not apply in this science activity, but they may use them in another way of experimenting.

In hot water, the Balloon inflated because of hot air molecules, and in cold water, the Balloon deflated because of cold air molecules. The hot air molecules are less dense in weight and tend to rise and occupy more space. That’s the reason the hot air molecules travel inside the Balloon and make it expand. In contrast, the cold air molecules are denser in weight and require less space, causing the Balloon to deflate.

Take an empty plastic water bottle. Attach a balloon (make sure it is not leaking anywhere on its surface) to the bottle’s mouth using its neck part by placing it upside down. That means the mouth of the Balloon and the bottle gets attached in opposite directions using their mouthparts. Now place the bottle set up in a container that consists of hot water in it. Leave it for some time. The Balloon starts inflating by filling its inside part with hot air molecules.

Bring the Balloon’s mouth part in an upside-down position over the neck part of the bottle. And then stretch the Balloon’s opening around the neck part of the bottle. But before that, you need to uncap the bottle. That’s it! Your Balloon’s opening nicely sits over the bottleneck part.

Boyle’s Law is valid at very high temperatures until or unless the gas remains as a gaseous matter. Because at high temperatures, the gases may change their state of mass, for which Boyle’s law is not applicable. Boyle’s law tells that the volume and pressure of a gas-related each other quite the opposite.

When you squeeze the bottle, the Balloon begins inflating itself because we squeeze some air molecules into it while squeezing the bottle. And due to more air occupying inside the Balloon, the Balloon starts expanding and inflates itself to fit the air molecules coming inside. When you stop squeezing the bottle, the balloon deflates.

When you let the Balloon warm up again, it starts inflating itself because of warmer air molecules. The warmer air molecules rise and enter into the Balloon, making it expand. Hot air molecules are less dense in weight and tend to travel upwards. And they require more space since they like to scatter in larger areas.

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June 5, 2014

Size-Changing Science: How Gases Contract and Expand

A chemistry challenge from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Chemistry States of matter Gases Energy Temperature   Introduction Have you ever baked—or purchased—a loaf of bread, muffins or cupcakes and admired the fluffy final product? If so, you have appreciated the work of expanding gases! They are everywhere—from the kitchen to the cosmos. You’ve sampled their pleasures every time you’ve eaten a slice of bread, bitten into a cookie or sipped a soda. In this science activity you’ll capture a gas in a stretchy container you’re probably pretty familiar with—a balloon! This will let you to observe how gases expand and contract as the temperature changes.   Background Everything in the world around you is made up of matter, including an inflated balloon and what’s inside of it. Matter comes in four different forms, known as states, which go (generally) from lowest to highest energy. They are: solids, liquids, gases and plasmas. Gases, such as the air or helium inside a balloon, take the shape of the containers they’re in. They spread out so that the space is filled up evenly with gas molecules. The gas molecules are not connected. They move in a straight line until they bounce into another gas molecule or hit the container’s wall, and then they rebound and continue in another direction until they hit something else. The combined motion energy of all of the gas molecules in a container is called the average kinetic energy.   This average kinetic (motional) energy changes in response to temperature. When gas molecules are warmed, their average kinetic energy also increases. This means they move faster and have more frequent and harder collisions inside of the balloon. When cooled, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules decreases, meaning they move more slowly and have less frequent and weaker collisions.   Materials

Freezer with some empty space

Two latex balloons that will inflate to approximately nine to 12 inches

Piece of string, at least 20 inches long

Permanent marker

Cloth tape measure. (A regular tape measure or ruler can also work, but a cloth tape measure is preferable.)

Scrap piece of paper and a pen or pencil

Clock or timer

  Preparation

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Make sure your freezer has enough space to easily fit an inflated balloon inside. The balloon should not be smushed or squeezed at all. If you need to move food to make space, be sure to get permission from anybody who stores food in the freezer. Also make sure to avoid any pointy objects or parts of the freezer.

Blow up a balloon until it is mostly—but not completely—full. Then carefully tie it off with a knot. With your helper assisting you, measure the circumference of the widest part of the balloon using a cloth tape measure or a piece of string (and then measure the string against a tape measure). What is the balloon’s circumference?

Inflate another balloon so it looks about the same size as the first balloon, but don’t tie it off yet. Pinch the opening closed between your thumb and finger so the air cannot escape. Have your helper measure the circumference of the balloon, then adjust the amount of air inside until it is within about half an inch or less (plus or minus) of the first balloon’s circumference (by blowing in more air, or letting a little escape). Then tie off the second balloon.

  Procedure

Turn one of the balloons so you can look at the top of it. At the very top it should have a slightly darker spot. Using the permanent marker, carefully make a small spot in the center of the darker spot.

Then take a cloth tape measure (or use a piece of string and a regular tape measure or ruler) and carefully make two small lines with the permanent marker at the top of the balloon that are two and one half inches away from one another, with the darker spot as the midpoint. To do this you can center the tape measure so that its one-and-one-quarter-inch mark is on the small spot you made and then make a line at the zero and two-and-one-half-inch points.

Repeat this with the other balloon so that it also has lines that are two and one half inches apart on its top.

Somewhere on one balloon write the number “1” and on the other balloon write the number “2.”

Because it can be difficult to draw exact lines on a balloon with a thick permanent marker, now measure the exact distance between the two lines you drew on each balloon, measuring from the outside of both lines. (For example, the distance might be two and three eighths inches or two and five eighths inches.) Write this down for each balloon (with the balloon’s number) on a scrap piece of paper. Why do you think it’s important to be so exact when measuring the distances?

Put balloon number 1 in the freezer in the area you cleared out for it. Leave it in the freezer for 45 minutes. Do not disturb it or open the freezer during this time. How do you think the size of the balloon will change from being in the freezer?

During this time, leave balloon number 2 somewhere out at room temperature ( not in direct sunlight or near a hot lamp).

After balloon number 1 has been in the freezer for 45 minutes, bring your cloth tape measure (or piece of string and regular tape measure) to the freezer and, with the balloon still in the freezer (but with the freezer door open to let you access the balloon), quickly measure the distance between the two lines as you did before. Did the distance between the two lines change? If so, how did it change? What does this tell you about whether the size of the balloon changed? Why do you think this is?

Then measure the distance between the two lines on balloon number 2, which stayed at room temperature. Did the distance between the two lines change? If so, how did it change? How did the balloon’s size change? Why do you think this is?

Overall, how did the balloon change size when placed in the freezer? What do your results tell you about how gases expand and contract as temperature changes?

Extra: After taking balloon number 1 out of the freezer leave it at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to let it warm up. Then remeasure the distance between the lines. How has the balloon changed size after warming up, if it changed at all?

Extra: Try this activity again but instead of putting balloon number 1 in the freezer, put it in a hot place for 45 minutes, such as outdoors on a hot day or inside a car on a warm day. (Just make sure the balloon is not in direct sunlight or near a hot lamp, as this can deflate the balloon by letting the gas escape.) Does the balloon change size when put in a hot place? If so, how?

Extra: In this activity you used air from your lungs but other gases might behave differently. You could try this activity again but this time fill the balloons with helium. How does using helium affect how the balloon changes size when placed in a freezer?

[break]  Observations and results Did balloon number 1, which was placed in the freezer, shrink a little compared with balloon number 2, which stayed at room temperature?   You should have seen that when you put the balloon in the freezer, the distance between the lines decreased a little, from about two and a half inches to two and a quarter (or by a quarter inch, about 10 percent). The balloon shrank! The distance between the lines on the balloon kept at room temperature should have pretty much stayed the same (or decreased very slightly), meaning that the balloon shouldn’t have really changed size. The frozen balloon shrank because the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules in a balloon decreases when the temperature decreases. This makes the molecules move more slowly and have less frequent and weaker collisions with the inside wall of the balloon, which causes the balloon to shrink a little. But if you let the frozen balloon warm up, you would find that it gets bigger again, as big as the balloon that you left at room temperature the whole time. This is because the average kinetic energy would increase due to the warmer temperature, making the molecules move faster and hit the inside of the balloon harder and more frequently again.   More to explore Looking for a Gas , from Rader’s Chem4Kids.com Gases around Us , from BBC Balloon Morphing: How Gases Contract and Expand , from Science Buddies Racing to Win That Checkered Flag: How Do Gases Help? , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

Hoping To Make Your Life More Heavenly with my Every Day Tips & Tricks!

Expanding Balloons! Simple Yet Spectacular Science Experiment!

Making carbon dioxide and filling up a balloon with it! Ok, yes yes, you could just blow up the balloon but this is a thousand times more fun and they get to see the reaction between an acid and a base… This always gets a fun reaction and I love doing this one with the kids!

Expanding Balloons!

What you need:

Empty plastic water bottle Balloon (or more because it’s hard to just do one) Baking soda Vinegar Funnel to make life easier

Directions:

• Fill empty water bottle half full with vinegar
• Put the tip of the funnel inside the balloon and add about 2 TBS of baking soda inside the balloon.
• Wrap the end of the balloon around the opening of the water bottle, making sure you don’t tip any of the baking soda into the vinegar.
• Have the child then tip the balloon upright making sure the baking soda dumps into the vinegar.
• Watch the reaction of baking soda and vinegar when mixed! It creates a gas which then goes up into the balloon causing the balloon to expand!

What is going on – This would be considered an acid/base reaction – the baking soda being the base and the vinegar being the acid. When you add them together they create carbon dioxide and that gas starts to expand and jump around, it starts to take over the entire space which is why it expands into the balloon and therefore filling the balloon up!

The balloon won’t really “float” and they deflate pretty quickly so make sure you have more balloons, baking soda and vinegar on hand so you can do more because this is just super fun. My two kids decided to have a race to see whose balloon would fill up the quickest. Have fun with it!

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Science Fun

Balloon Science Experiments

Easy balloon science experiments you can do at home! Click on the experiment image or the view experiment link below for each experiment on this page to see the materials needed and procedure. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS.

Balloon In A Bottle:

Balloon Speakers:

Rock Out With This Balloon Sound System

Balloon Powered Lightbulb:

Tabletop Balloon Water Fountain:

Squishy Slime Balloon:

States Of Matter Balloon:

The Gas In This Balloon “Matters”

Make A Mini Hovercraft:

Expanding Air Balloon:

Jumbo Water Bead Balloon:

Cold Air Balloon:

Use An Endothermic Reaction To Fill A Balloon

Rip Roaring Balloon:

Rocket Balloon Blast:

Playing With Rain

Explore the World Around You

in Instagram Feed · Kids Science Experiments · Weather Science

Hot and Cold Balloon Experiment

Share with your friends!

Did you know that inflating and deflating a balloon can be as simple as heating up or cooling down the air inside the balloon!? Let’s jump in and learn how to do this fun Hot and Cold Balloon Experiment.

Get more fun and easy Atmospheric Pressure Experiments here!

My favorite thing about this cool science experiment is how easy it is to do at home with your kids…and they will love it!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

Supplies Needed:

• Empty plastic bottle
• 1 Bowl of Hot Water
• 1 Bowl of Cold Ice Water

How to Inflate a Balloon With a Bottle

• Fill a bowl with hot water and another bowl with ice cold water.
• Grab an empty plastic bottle and attach a balloon to the top of the bottle.
• Set the bottle in the bowl of cold water and the balloon will not inflate.
• Place the bottle in the bowl of hot water and watch as the balloon inflates!
• Now move the bottle back to the bowl of cold water to watch the balloon deflate again!

Step 1: Get a Bowl of Hot Water and a Bowl of Cold Water

For the best and most dramatic performance of this experiment, you want your cold water to be as cold as possible, and your hot water to be as hot as safely possible.

I prefer to mix some ice into a large bowl with very cold water to make sure my ice water is very very cold. Then, using adult supervision, heat up some water in the microwave or on the stovetop in a separate large bowl or pot.

The water needs to be hot and steamy, but you don’t want it to be boiling either.

Step 2: Attach a Balloon to the Top of an Empty Bottle

Stretch the mouth of a large balloon over the opening of an empty plastic bottle. Sometimes it even helps to inflate the balloon first and deflate it to stretch the latex out a little bit before attaching it to the bottle.

It also helps to use your fingers to stretch the mouth and neck of the balloon out a little bit. The larger the balloon you use, the easier this step will be to slide the balloon mouth onto the bottle opening.

Step 3: Place the Bottle in the Cold Water

After you attach the deflated balloon to the bottle, place the bottle into the bowl of cold water and pay attention to what happens.

You should not notice much of a change with the balloon. In fact, it may even contract and shrink even smaller than before, and it certainly will not inflate in the cold water.

Step 4: Put the Bottle into Hot Water and Watch The Balloon Inflate

When you move the bottle and balloon from the cold water and place it into the hot water you should see a pretty dramatic change in the balloon. It should start to fill with air and inflate!

The balloon likely won’t get super big, because it needs more air pressure to stretch the latex a lot, but it will noticeably expand and get bigger in the hot water!

Step 5: Move the Bottle Back to the Cold Water

Put this experiment in reverse by moving the bottle from the hot water back into the cold water again. What do you think will happen to the balloon!?

You guessed it! The balloon will quickly shrink and deflate again once the bottle is placed in the bowl of cold water! This Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon Experiment is another super cool way to inflate a balloon too!

Now it’s time to dive into the science behind how this hot and cold balloon experiment works!

How Does Temperature Affect the Size of a Balloon?

Generally speaking, the higher the temperature of the air inside a balloon, the larger and more inflated the balloon will become. On the flip side, the colder the air is inside the balloon, the balloon will shrink and deflate.

This shrinking and expanding of the balloon due to temperature is all thanks to a fancy scientific equation called the ideal gas law .

The Ideal gas law basically means as temperature increases, the volume of air inside the balloon does as well. This is because heat energizes the gas (air) molecules and they bounce into each other faster and faster.

As the bottle with the balloon attached is placed in hot water, the air inside the bottle heats up and the molecules move around faster and increase the volume and air pressure enough to inflate the balloon.

Then as the bottle is moved back into the cold water, the air molecules lose energy and slow down. They don’t bounce around as quickly and the volume and pressure decrease as the balloon deflates.

PIN THIS EXPERIMENT FOR LATER

More Fun Experiments For Kids:

• Bouncy Egg Science Experiment
• Bottle Thermometer Experiment
• Light Refraction in Water

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Hot air expands demonstration

Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments:

You will need:

CAUTION: adults to use this only!

• A glass bottle
• A tall plastic container

• Instruction

Attach your balloon onto your glass bottle.

Place your glass bottle into the large plastic cup.

Carefully pour the hot water over the neck of the glass bottle. You should start to see the balloon start to inflate.

Keep going until the balloon is inflated as per the picture!

Try placing the bottle into cold water… what happens to the inflated balloon now?

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What is going on?

Hot gases expand, cold gases contract!

All gases have freely moving molecules. As you add more heat to a gas, the molecules move faster and push harder against the sides of a vessel that holds them. The more the gas molecules collide against the sides of the vessel, the greater the air pressure.

By covering the glass bottle in hot water, the heat energy moved into the contained air which then increased the air molecules movement inside the bottle and therefore the air pressure as well. This increased air pressure expanded the balloon!

Variable testing

More about variable testing here

• Try different size balloons. Can you inflate each one?
• With an adult, try different water temperatures
• Try different shaped bottles

Going further

What you have observed is an example of how the pressure of a gas is proportional to the temperature of the gas. In simple terms, this means that if you increase the pressure, you increase the temperature. This works both ways, if you increase the temperature, you increase the pressure!

This is Gay Lussac’s Law, stated more precisely as below:

The pressure of a given mass of gas varies directly with the absolute temperature of the gas, when the volume is kept constan

which can be written mathematically as follows:

P1 = Initial pressure

T1 = Initial temperature

P2 = Final pressure

T1 = Final temperature

You can explore the effect of changing temperature, volume & pressure in the interactive simulation by the University of Colarado Boulder PhET Interactive Simulations project

Just click on “Ideal” which refers to what happens to an Ideal Gas, which is a pretend gas which has molecules that don’t chemically react with each other. This means that you can see what happens to these molecules as you change the temperature, pressure and volume of the container much more easily.

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Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Making Science Fun, Easy to Teach and Exciting to Learn!

Science Experiments

Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Can you blow up a balloon without using your mouth? In this simple science experiment, we’re going to show you how to do it with only a few everyday items you probably already have in your home. It makes a great experiment for young children because the set-up is simple and it only takes a few minutes to get to the exciting finale.

In addition to a video demonstration and detailed printable instructions, we also have the scientific explanation of how this simple chemical reaction works making it perfect for older scientists too.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Small Soda Bottle
• Baking Soda

Balloon Blow-up Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Balloon Blow-up Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Balloon Blow Up Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Start with some questions: How do you blow up a balloon? What if I told you that you couldn’t blow air into it, do you think you could still inflate (blow-up) the balloon? Then observe the supplies for the experiments. Do you think they can be use to blow up the balloon? If so how? Write down your hypothesis (prediction).

Step 2 – Using a funnel, pour about a third of a cup of vinegar into the bottle. We used Apple Cider Vinegar, but any type of vinegar will work.

Step 3 – Then insert another funnel into the mouth of the balloon. We recommend using two different funnels. One funnel for filling the bottle with vinegar and one for the balloon. However, you can do the experiment with only one funnel. Just make sure you completely wash and dry the funnel after you add the vinegar and before you put it into the balloon. This is very important.

Step 4 – Place two teaspoons of baking soda into the funnel so it falls into the balloon. When the balloon is filled with the baking soda, carefully remove it from the funnel. 

Step 5 – Next, secure the mouth of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Take your time doing this and don’t let any of the baking soda fall out of the balloon and into the bottom of the bottle. Take a moment to make some observations. What will happen if we lift up the balloon? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then test to see if you were right!

Step 6 – While holding the bottle, lift the end of the balloon and allow the baking soda to drop into the bottle. 

Step 7 – What happens to the balloon? Was your hypothesis correct? Wondering what caused the balloon to inflate? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How Does the Science Experiment Work?

When baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) are mixed together they create a chemical reaction that results in the formation of carbon dioxide gas. Gases do not have a specific shape or volume, rather they expand rapidly filling their container. Gases expand rapidly because their particles move at high speeds in all directions. As the carbon dioxide gas fills the bottle, it has nowhere else to go so it begins to fill the balloon. As the carbon dioxide gas fills the balloon, the balloon inflates. The more gas that is created, the larger the balloon will inflate.

The baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction will continue to inflate the balloon as long as there is still baking soda and vinegar to react. Once the reaction between baking soda and vinegar has stopped, the balloon will slowly begin to deflate.

An acid is a substance that tastes bitter, reacts with metals and carbonates, and turns blue litmus paper red. A base is a substance that tastes bitter, feels slippery, and turns red litmus paper blue.

Other Ideas to Try

Does changing the amount of baking soda and vinegar change the size of the balloon when it inflates? What would happen if you used another acid like lemon juice instead of the vinegar? Would it react the same with the baking soda?

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Instructions

• Using a funnel, pour about a third of a cup of vinegar into the bottle. Tip: I used Apple Cider Vinegar, but any kind of vinegar will work.
• Then insert another funnel into the mouth of the balloon. Tip: It is best to have two funnels, one for filling the bottle with vinegar and one for the balloon. If you only have one funnel, it is important that you completely wash and dry the funnel after you add the vinegar and before you put it into the balloon.
• Place two teaspoons of baking soda into the funnel so it falls into the balloon. Then remove the balloon from the funnel.
• Next, secure the the mouth of the balloon over the top of the bottle. Tip: Don’t let any of the baking soda drop into the bottle…yet!
• While holding the bottle, lift the end of the balloon allowing the baking soda to drop into the bottle.
• Watch in amazement as the balloon magically inflates!

Reader Interactions

November 2, 2017 at 11:00 am

Yeah but don’t just eyeball the measurements of things because if you use to much baking soda it will make the baloon spring a leak and all sorts of stuff will fly out and make a big mess.

I speak form experience

Seriously, don’t do this

April 21, 2018 at 10:26 am

I did this experiment and it is perfect!

You need to hold properly the bottle when you mix the baking soda into vinegar.

May 22, 2019 at 8:57 am

We’re doing science experiments at school and this one is brilliant! I loved it a lot.

June 22, 2020 at 11:15 am

I love this experiment! My balloon grew 6 inches!

June 19, 2023 at 11:17 pm

I tried and it worked well – Exited to do such experiment

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Copyright © 2024 · Cool Science Experiments HQ

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Spooky Expanding Ghost

Posted: Sep 19, 2014 · Updated: Apr 21, 2024 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Spooky Expanding Ghost Experiment - Teach your kids a thing or two about carbon dioxide with this fun science experiment using ingredients you already have in your house!

Spooky ghost. Who am I kidding? This Spooky Expanding Ghost experiment isn't really spooky at all! It's cute, hilarious and so much fun! My almost 6-year-old is into science anything. . . and everything right now. He LOVES experiments. In fact, he received two science experiment sets for Christmas and they were his favorite gifts. . .EVER.

So, he didn't believe me when I told him we were going to inflate that limp ghost balloon hanging from the top of his water bottle. He was hooked, though - and quite intrigued. This is such a fun experiment for the younger kids and they'll get a kick out of how magical of show this little ghost really puts on!

Here's what you'll need for this ghastly fun:

• Empty water bottle
• Small funnel
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• ½ cup vinegar
• Permanent marker (for drawing on a face - optional)

Instructions

• Pour ½ cup of vinegar into an empty water bottle.
• Draw a face on your balloon if you'd like while it's deflated.
• Place the funnel into the open end of the deflated balloon and pour in the baking soda.
• Secure the open end of the balloon onto the top of the bottle being careful not to dump the contents of the balloon into the bottle quite yet.
• When you're ready, hold the balloon upright allowing the baking soda to fall into the bottle and mix with the vinegar.

So why does this work? The product of the vinegar and baking soda is carbon dioxide, a gas present when we breathe out. The carbon dioxide inflates the balloon. It's that simple.

Now, remember, the amounts of baking soda and vinegar I specified seemed to work out well. If you add more of the two ingredients, you probably want to take the project outside. 🙂 The bottle will tip over for sure, and with too much pressure, the balloon could explode.

Follow the instructions as specified and you'll be just fine keeping this experiment in the kitchen! Ready to share some Halloween science fun with your little goblins? I bet they'll enjoy it as much as mine did!

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Reader Interactions

October 29, 2014 at 3:03 pm

Oh my goodness! Great minds think alike! I did the exact same experiment with Jack-O-Lantern balloons! Love this version as well. 🙂

October 29, 2014 at 9:35 pm

No kidding, Jenae! I'm going to try and stop over to check it out!

October 20, 2014 at 6:08 am

Hahaha, I LOOOVE THIS!!! I included it in my favorite Halloween crafts post because I just adore it! Seems like so much fun! Thanks a million for sharing ❤ I'm really grateful!

Hugs from Spain ♫

October 20, 2014 at 9:31 pm

I'm so glad you liked the project! My son did have a blast with it. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Michelle {Fun On a Dime}

September 19, 2014 at 10:19 pm

This is awesome. My kids would love it.

Also, just to let you know, your page is constantly popping up a Pinterest pin box (multiple times and even after I pined it).

September 21, 2014 at 7:59 am

Thanks, Michelle and thanks for the comment about the Pinterest pin box. If you have more details on what happened, private message me or send me an email. I can't seem to replicate the issue on my end. Thanks!

Marlene Schlegel

September 19, 2014 at 10:08 am

Very cool!!! Love the excitement on his face!!

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How does the Universe expand?

June 1, 2012 By Emma Vanstone 7 Comments

Today we have an investigation for little astronomers to demonstrate how the universe is expanding.

Did you know we are part of a spiral galaxy called the Milky Way? Earth is located in an arm of the spiral.

What is the Universe?

When we talk about the universe, we mean everything that exists. Galaxies, planets and everything in between. Scientists think the edge of the universe is expanding faster than the speed of light !

How big is the Universe?

It’s hard to imagine just how big the universe is. Scientists estimate that there are around 100 billion galaxies!! If you think the Milky Way ( our galaxy ) is thought to have between 200 and 300 billion stars like our sun, it’s pretty impossible to comprehend.

Much of the universe is actually empty space ( dark matter and dark energy ) and the things we can see ( ordinary matter ) make up only 4-5% of the universe.

What is dark matter?

Scientists think stars and planets would not move as they do in empty space, but so far we don’t have the ability to see or measure dark matter. Dark matter is thought to make up between 25-28% of the universe.

What is dark energy?

Dark energy is how scientists refer to the force that is thought to be behind the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is though to make up between 67-70% of the universe.

Universe Expansion Theory Demonstration

This is a very simple experiment to demonstrate the Universe expansion theory.

You’ll need:

Black Marker

How to demonstrate the expansion of the universe

• Blow up the balloon so its about the size of an orange.
• Clip it with a balloon clip.
• Draw dots on the balloon with a black marker, these represent the the milky way galaxy.
• Remove the clip and keep blowing up the balloon.
• What happens to the dots?

How does the universe expand – explanation

The balloon is a model of the universe, which is constantly stretching outwards. The universe has been expanding ever since the big bang about 13.8 billion years ago.

More Space Science Experiments for Kids

Discover how craters are formed on planets with this crater investigation .

Even very small children will love our rocket mouse !

Find out when the Earth formed and how we know!

Science concepts

The big bang

Dark matter

Last Updated on October 26, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

June 03, 2012 at 10:38 pm

I love this visual representation!

June 04, 2012 at 6:14 am

Love this approach! I bet my boy would really “get it”…thank you for sharing…

June 04, 2012 at 11:50 am

I’m glad you liked it! xx

June 05, 2012 at 4:01 pm

My three year old granddaughter will love this. Finding things to do for preschoolers in science is not that easy. We have just started to study the solar system this will be great.

June 08, 2012 at 8:09 pm

Ahhhh, but is it a cycle of expanding and collapsing or does it expand forever? I always thought that was an interesting debate when I was in school. I’m weird that way though.

Love the visual.

December 04, 2019 at 9:50 pm

loved it for a school progect

January 24, 2023 at 2:15 pm

Loved it!!! This is so helpful for my science projects, thank you so much!!!

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• Dean Campbell's blog

Expanding on Self-Inflating Balloons: Activities Involving Moles, Gas Laws, and Thermochemistry

Co-Authored by Dean J. Campbell*, Carley Steres*, and Kaitlyn Walls*

*Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

Self-inflating balloons based on the chemical reaction between citric acid and baking soda can be used to illustrate multiple chemical principles. 1,2,3 One variety, marketed as Wack-A-Pack balloons, have been sold in local Dollar Tree stores as St. Valentine’s Day novelties. As of this writing, they are currently $1.25 for a four-pack of balloons. We have purchased many of these balloons over the years for use in classroom demonstrations and chemistry-related outreach events. Each Wack-A-Pack consists of an outer sealed pouch containing a folded and sealed balloon. The balloon contains loose sodium hydrogen carbonate powder and a small inner pouch containing citric acid solution. When the entire Wack-A-Pack is struck by a hand or a foot (“whacked”), the innermost pouch breaks and releases the citric acid solution onto the sodium hydrogen carbonate, Figure 1.

wack_a_pack.jpeg

The reaction of the citric acid and the sodium hydrogen carbonate produces carbon dioxide gas which inflates the balloon.

H 3 C 8 H 5 O 7 + NaHCO 3 à 3 CO 2 + 3 H 2 O + Na 3 C 8 H 5 O 7

Usually, enough pressure from the carbon dioxide causes the outer pouch to pop open and release the balloon, although sometimes the outer pouch needs a little help to open. With a little information about the quantities of reactants and other aspects of this process, chemical principles can be covered in a bit more depth.

There is an opportunity to use these balloons to discuss limiting reactants. Three unopened Wack-A-Pack balloons were cut open and the sodium hydrogen carbonate powder was weighed. The measured masses varied, but averaged 1.439 g, or 0.01713 moles, of sodium hydrogen carbonate. If this compound was the limiting reactant and completely reacted with the citric acid, it would produce 0.01713 moles of carbon dioxide. A couple of approaches were to measure the amount of carbon dioxide actually produced in five balloons. We first utilized a 2 L graduated cylinder and water to determine balloon volume through displacement. Beakers and even a kitchen measuring cup could also possibly be used for this type of volume measurement. Each balloon was submerged in the water with tongs, and volume change was measured. Neglecting the volume of the balloon walls, the displacement technique gave an average volume of 135 mL with a standard deviation of 8 mL. At the room temperature and pressure conditions, this volume corresponded to 0.00564 moles of carbon dioxide, much less than could be produced by complete reaction of the sodium hydrogen carbonate. However, the balloons must have a pressure at least equal to that of ambient pressure. Sometimes the balloons are very firmly inflated. To get measurements of the carbon dioxide gas volumes outside of their balloons, a 250 mL graduated cylinder filled with water was inverted in a plastic tub of water. A beaker or kitchen measuring cup might also work for this measurement. Each inflated balloon with its volume previously measured was held under the submerged opening of the graduated cylinder and was punctured. The carbon dioxide gas that bubbled out of the balloon was captured as a gas pocket at the top of the inverted cylinder. The average volume of the gas pocket was 147 mL with a standard deviation of 27 mL. At the room temperature and pressure conditions, this volume corresponded to 0.00614 moles of carbon dioxide, again much less than could be produced by complete reaction of the sodium hydrogen carbonate, but a little more than that obtained by measuring the inflated balloons themselves. This small increase in volume supports the notion that the pressure inside the inflated balloon is not much greater than the pressure outside the balloon. If all of the sodium hydrogen carbonate were to react in the balloon, a much greater pressure or a much greater volume of carbon dioxide could be produced. In Video 1, this idea is discussed and reinforced with a demonstration where the sodium hydrogen carbonate from a Wack-A-Pack balloon was added to sulfuric acid solution with dish soap added to produce roughly 350 mL of foam, much more than what was needed to inflate a 150 mL balloon.

Video 1. Discussion of limiting reactants with gas volume experiments for Wack A Pack balloons. ChemDemos YouTube Channel (accessed 2/2/2022)

Knowing the volume of the inflated balloon and that it contains mostly carbon dioxide gas enables the calculation of the difference between the molar mass of carbon dioxide and the average molar mass of the ambient air in the room. To do this, the volume of three inflated balloons was measured by water displacement and the balloons were dried. Each dry balloon was placed on a laboratory balance, which was then tared. The balloon was removed from the balance and gently punctured with a needle to release extra carbon dioxide pressure and enable the pressure inside and outside the balloon to equilibrate. Since the walls of the balloons were not comprised of stretchy latex, and were more likely the polymers described below, the balloon mostly held its shape. The still-inflated balloon was then placed back on the balance and the mass loss was noted. In the three trials, the average mass loss was 0.0993 g, corresponding to 0.00226 moles of carbon dioxide. Given that the average volume of the inflated balloons was 150 mL, this corresponded to a pressure loss of 0.0650 atm at ambient room conditions. Again, the initial pressure inside the inflated balloons was slightly greater than outside of the balloons.

With the equilibrated but still inflated balloon on the balance pan, the balance was again tared. The balloon was again removed from the balance and this time was gently pressed flat to expel all the air, but not any liquid or solid, from the balloon. The balloon was again placed back on the balance and the mass loss was noted. This mass loss in grams was divided by the inflated balloon volume to give the density difference (in g/L) between the carbon dioxide in the balloon and the air surrounding the balloon.

Incorporating that density (d), and the ambient pressure (P) and temperature (T), into the equation P × Mm = d × R × T, gives the molar mass difference (Mm) between the gases. 4 Using the data from the three trials, a difference of 16.13 g/mol was measured. For comparison, the average molar mass of the air in the lower atmosphere is 28.96 g/mol, 5 which is 15.05 g/mol lower than the carbon dioxide molar mass of 44.01 g/mol.

If the excess gas pressure in a freshly inflated balloon can be released quickly through a narrow hole, the balloon can be propelled in the opposite direction of the hole and behave a bit like a rocket. The challenge is to make a small hole in the balloon without actually pushing on the balloon and moving it. However, heat from a flame placed near the balloon can weaken the plastic until it fails. The carbon dioxide that quickly vents from the balloon can provide thrust to move the balloon. Video 2 shows a Wack-A-Pack balloon hanging from a paper clip tied to a piece of dental floss. The heat from a butane lighter placed near the balloon caused a small hole to form, releasing carbon dioxide and causing the balloon to spin. This demonstration can be connected to other rocket or space-related demonstrations. 6 Another space-related connection is the fact these balloons are inflated with carbon dioxide, which is the major component of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars, 7 and a minor yet environmentally significant component of Earth’s atmosphere.

Video 2. Wack-A-Pack balloon spinning from pressure release through heat-weakened hole.  ChemDemos YouTube Channel (accessed 2/2/2022)

In addition to the gas pressure aspects of the Wack-A-Pack balloons, there are thermochemical aspects to consider. As others have already noted, the chemical reaction itself is clearly spontaneous, with a negative change in Gibbs free energy. 2 The reaction proceeds after initiation without outside intervention. The initiation of the process, the “whack” could be a sort of analogy for the activation energy required to get the inflation process started. However, details like transition states might be beyond the scope of the analogy. A readily observable thermochemical phenomenon with the Wack-A-Pack balloons is that they develop a cold spot as they inflate that can be felt with fingers as the balloon is held. This appears to be due to the dissolution of the sodium hydrogen carbonate in water and its reaction with the citric acid both being endothermic. Video 3 shows a Wack-A-Pack balloon inflating while being viewed with an infrared camera. 8 The bottom corner of the balloon was notably cooler where the citric acid solution and sodium hydrogen carbonate were actually combining.

Video 3. Wack A Pack balloon viewed with an infrared camera while inflating.  ChemDemos YouTube Channel (accessed 2/2/2022)

Another chemical topic to consider is the “greenness” of these demonstrations from the perspective of the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, which yields some positive and some negative outcomes. 9  The carbon dioxide-producing reaction itself, based on the relatively safe reactants sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) and aqueous citric acid, seem to mesh well with principles 3. Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis, 5. Safer Solvents & Auxiliaries, and 10. Design for Degradation. There is, however, definitely room for improvements in these demonstrations with respect to principles 1. Waste Prevention and 10. Design for Degradation. There seems to be an excess of sodium hydrogen carbonate in the Wack-A-Pack balloons, and it is unclear whether or not that excess is necessary to help ensure that the balloons inflate in a timely manner. Perhaps more significant is the use of all the plastics in the balloons and the packaging. Raman microscopy performed in our lab of the balloon and its packaging indicates that these materials are comprised of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and possibly other polymers. It would be desirable to switch to materials that are less persistent in the environment at the end their useful lifetimes. 10  Despite this need for improvement, these low-cost yet eye-catching novelty balloons can be used to illustrate multiple chemical principles associated with moles, gas laws, thermochemistry, and Green Chemistry.

Safety Precautions, including proper personal protective equipment such as goggles, should be used when working with demonstrations. Avoid spilling strong acid solutions on skin or clothing. All solution containers should be clearly labeled. Do not set the plastic balloons on fire with the butane lighter. Always wash your hands after completing the demonstrations.

Acknowledgements This work was supported by Bradley University and the Mund-Lagowski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with additional support from the Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society and the Illinois Space Grant Consortium. The FLIR camera was provided through a subcontract from a grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education, awards 1813313 and 1626228.

1.   Modic, A. Self-Inflatable Valentine Balloons – Chemistry is Everywhere! https://www.chemedx.org/blog/self-inflatable-valentine-balloons-%E2%80%9... (accessed February, 2022).

2.   The STEMAzing Project. Wack-a-Pack Science PQRST. https://stemazing.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Wack-a-Pack-Science.pdf (accessed February, 2022). 

3.   Campbell, D. Dr. Campbell’s Favorite Demos: Whak-A-Pack Valentines. http://campbelldemo.blogspot.com/2014/02/whak-pack-valentines.html (accessed February, 2022). 

4.   Tro, N. J. Chemistry: A Molecular Approach , 5th Edition; Pearson Education, Inc., 2020.

5.   The Engineering Toolbox. Air - Molecular Weight and Composition. https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/molecular-mass-air-d_679.html (accessed February, 2022).

6.   Campbell, D. J.; Kahila, T.; Kraft, C. “Soda Fountains from Aluminum Cans.” ChemEd Exchange. September 16, 2021. https://www.chemedx.org/blog/soda-fountains-aluminum-cans (accessed February, 2022).

7.   Campbell, D. J. “LEGO Brick Atmosphere Sticks.” ChemEd Exchange. June 6, 2021. https://www.chemedx.org/article/lego-brick-atmosphere-sticks (accessed February, 2022).

8.   Green, T.; Gresh, R.; Cochran, D.; Crobar, K.; Blass, P.; Ostrowski, A.; Campbell, D.; Xie, C.; Torelli, A. “Invisibility Cloaks and Hot Reactions: Applying Infrared Thermography in the Chemistry Education Laboratory.” J. Chem. Educ ., 2020, 97, 710-718.

9.   Compound Interest. The Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry: What it is, & Why it Matters. https://www.compoundchem.com/2015/09/24/green-chemistry/ (accessed February, 2022).

10.  Campbell, D. J.; Lojpur, B. “Microplastics, Liquid Nitrogen, and Iodine: Polystyrene vs. Starch Foam Packing Peanuts.” ChemEd Exchange. July 28, 2021. https://www.chemedx.org/blog/microplastics-liquid-nitrogen-and-iodine-po... (accessed February, 2022).

General Safety

For Laboratory Work:  Please refer to the ACS  Guidelines for Chemical Laboratory Safety in Secondary Schools (2016) .  

For Demonstrations: Please refer to the ACS Division of Chemical Education Safety Guidelines for Chemical Demonstrations .

Other Safety resources

RAMP : Recognize hazards; Assess the risks of hazards; Minimize the risks of hazards; Prepare for emergencies