Chemical Reaction Lab
Question: Can a chemical reaction cause a balloon to inflate?
Hypothesis: If a balloon is placed over the opening of a flask with vinegar, water, and baking
soda, the chemical reaction of the substances will create a gas (CO2) that will cause the balloon to
inflate.
Materials: 1 balloon
1 Erlenmeyer flasks
7.5 ml of baking soda
60 ml of vinegar
30 ml warm water
Small square of paper towel
Stopwatch
Procedures:
1. Gather all materials
2. Place 7.5ml of baking soda in the center of the paper towel. Fold the paper towel over
the baking soda a few times to create a “time release” capsule.
3. Pour 60ml of vinegar into the bottle followed by 30ml warm water.
4. Have the balloon ready to go. Drop the “capsule” of baking soda into the bottle.
5. Have the stopwatch ready.
6. QUICKLY place the opening of the balloon over the bottle top and start the stopwatch.
Shake the bottle slightly once the balloon is securely fastened.
7. Stand back! Record your observations and time it took balloon to blow-up.
8. Repeat steps 2-7 three more times for validity.
Results/Data
Balloon Blowing
Balloon Number
Time (sec)
Observations
1
13
2
22
3
17
4
27
very foamy and white; balloon blew up pretty fast. a lot of liquid
inside balloon
foamy and white; took longer to fill up; did not get as big
foamy and white; paper towel sucked up inside of balloon. Balloon
got big. (put baking soda in differently)
foamy and white; paper towel got stuck in bet. flask and balloon;
had to shake again. once paper towel was free; balloon got large.
Average time:
19.75
Conclusion:
A chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar can cause a balloon to inflate; the hypothesis was
proven. The average time it took the balloon to inflate was 19.75 seconds. The fastest time it took
the balloon to inflate was 13 seconds and the slowest time was 27 seconds. When the baking soda
and vinegar were mixed together, you could see the chemical reaction taking place; what started
out as a clear substance became white a foamy. The foam also seemed to grow, pushing gas into
the balloon.
Validity factors of the lab were; not starting and stopping the timer, a hole in one of the balloons,
putting the baking soda in differently, shaking at different rates and speed, and some of the
baking soda fell on the table.