Balloon Experiments

Science is one of the fascinating subjects among the students of all ages. Do you know why?

It’s because nature is full of enthralling facts. To understand the existence of everything around us, we do experiments.

A Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget rightly said that the child is a little scientist/investigator. A child is always curious to understand the how and whys of everything; that’s why she searches for a platform where her thoughts can transform into activities. It is a moment when science comes into sight. 

Every experiment you do enhances your scientific skills and strengthens your ability to tackle real-life situations. 

Dear science buddies, by keeping your interest as the priority, we are going to perform the balloon experiment.  Now, let’s see the list of balloon experiments that will make your lessons bang.

Balloon Experiments Physics

• Balloon Rocket Experiment

This experiment is an application of Newton’s laws of motion. 

• Blow up a Balloon without using your Mouth.

This experiment will help you learn chemical reactions by acids and bases.

• Designing a Balloon-powered Vehicle: Car 

Through these activities, you can explore Newton’s laws of motion. Also, you will learn the significance of using recyclable items.

• Spear a Balloon without Popping it

This experiment will help students learn about polymers and how to stay relaxed in stressful situations.

Now, let’s understand the step-by-step instructions to perform the balloon experiment.

Balloon Rocket Experiment

Aim: To understand the application of Newton’s second and the third law of motion.

Tools/Materials Required

• Few Balloons

• Inflation Pump

• Straws

• Kite string

• Adhesive tape 

Instructions

• Cut the straw into two-halves and pass one end of a kite string through one-half.

• Bind one end of a string to a chair/door/window and another end to a distant object at some height horizontally. Make sure that the string is tied firmly.

• Now, blow your balloon. Hold it with fingers to prevent the release of air.

• Fix your balloon with a straw (in a tied string) using adhesive tape. 

• Now, release your balloon, and it will run like a rocket along the string.

            [Image will be uploaded soon]

Blow up a Balloon Without Using Your Mouth

Aim: To understand how a chemical reaction occurs between acids and bases. 

Tools/Materials Required

• A Tiny Soda B ottle

• Baking Soda

• Balloons

• Funnels

• Teaspoons

• Vinegar (You may use apple cider vinegar)

Instructions

• Pour 1/3rd of vinegar solution into the soda bottle using a funnel.

• Now, wash the funnel properly and place two teaspoons of a baking soda into the funnel so that it falls into the balloon.

• Secure the mouth of this balloon over the top of a soda bottle, as shown below:

            [Image will be uploaded soon]

• Next, let the baking soda fall into the bottle, as shown below:

            [Image will be uploaded soon]

Here the magic comes! We can observe that the reaction between baking soda and vinegar creates foam, which inflates the balloon. You can see below how it happened.

[Image will be uploaded soon]

Designing a Balloon Powered Vehicle: Car

Aim: To understand how to build a balloon-powered car and use air pressure to run it on the floor.

Tools/Materials Required

• Ruler

• Pair of scissors

• Rigid cardboard/foam core

• Four bottle caps

• Straws

• balloons

Instructions

• Use a ruler to measure two 7 cm pieces on a straw and cut it into two halves.

• Cut the cardboard with a measurement of 6.5 cm x 17 cm. Securely tape the two straws to the underside of the base. These straws will hold the axles. Arrange these straws parallel to each other to lie perpendicular to the centerline of the cardboard base.

• Cut the ring end of the balloon and see the further step. 

• Flip the cardboard, slide the straw into the balloon with tape to make an airtight connection.

• Make a hole in a bottle cap, cut the sharp ends of two skewers. Now, these skewers will work as an axle, slide these into the perfectly centered holes of caps (wheels).

• Turn the cardboard again and attach two pairs of wheels. Be certain that they are perfectly parallel to each other, as shown in the image below:

             [Image will be uploaded soon]

• Now, blow air in the pipe, and the balloon inflates, and the car moves. We can see the final arrangement in the image below:

             [Image will be uploaded soon]

Spear a Balloon without Popping it 

Aim: To understand how we can pierce a balloon without popping it.

Tools Required

• Balloons

• Skewer

Instructions

• Inflate a balloon approximately to full size; let 1/3rd of air out and tie a knot in its open end.

• Carefully examine the balloon and find a thick area; this will be the place where you will pierce the balloon with a wooden skewer.

• Now, coat the skewer with a lubricant such as a vegetable oil/dish soap.

• Push the sharpened end of a skewer to the thick area of the balloon and slide it till you reach its opposite end.

             [Image will be uploaded soon]

• Gently, remove the skewer; you will observe that the air will leak, but the balloon won’t crack.