Another home science experiment for kids using baking soda and vinegar is to create a chemical reaction and use it to blow up a balloon when carbon dioxide gas develops by mixing an acid and a base.
What you’ll need:
- Any size plastic bottle
- A funnel (we made a paper funnel)
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- A balloon
- Eye protection
How to do it:
- The amount of vinegar you will need to use will depend on the size of your bottle. Fill it to about a third of it with vinegar.
- If you have funnel, fill the bulb of your balloon with about a tablespoon of baking soda.
- Wrap the balloon’s opening around the tip of the bottle and ask your child to guess what would happen next when you mix the baking soda into the vinegar.
- Shake the baking soda into the bottle and watch the balloon inflate.
The science behind the experiment:
Mixing a base like baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with an acid like vinegar (acetic acid), creates a chemcal reaction. This creates a gas called carbon dioxide which is what inflates the balloon.
Activities for Kids at Home 