What You Need:
- Empty soda or water bottle
- Balloon
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Paper towel
Instructions:
- Tear the paper towel in half. Take one half and tear it in half again. You will use one of these smaller squares as your wrapper.
- Place about a tablespoon of baking soda on your wrapper. Fold it up and twist the ends closed so that the baking soda is neatly inside.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of vinegar into your bottle, and add the wrapper of baking soda.
- Quickly place the balloon securely over the top of the bottle and watch the balloon blow up by itself!
Note:
You can swirl the liquid in the bottle to help the two chemicals react once the balloon is fastened to the top.
This experiment works because the vinegar and baking soda mixed together produce a gas which fills the bottle and the balloon. The paper towel is used to protect the baking soda for a short period of time while the balloon gets placed on the bottle.