Program Type:
Science & STEAMAge Group:
All AgesProgram Description
Event Description
Librarians Breanna and Chelsee walk you through fun STEM projects you can do at home - using items you may already have around the house. Every Saturday this summer, enjoy a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program. A listing supplies and steps will be available prior to the program so you can try this at home.
You can view STEM Saturday on Facebook, IGTV, and YouTube.
This week's activity is on Chemical Reactions.
Supplies:
- Balloon
- Plastic Bottle
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Funnel
- Measuring Cups
Directions:
- Add 1/3 cup of baking soda into balloon using the funnel
- Pour 1 cup vinegar into plastic bottle using the funnel
- Attach balloon to plastic bottle
- Dump the balloon's contents into plastic bottle
- Watch the chemical reaction!
How it works:
Adding vinegar to baking soda creates a chemical reaction. Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When the two are combined, they create a gas called carbon dioxide. Gas tends to fill the shape of its container. Once the carbon dioxide has filled the bottle, it looks for another place to go and begins to inflate the balloon.
Experiment at Home:
- Does the acid's temperature affect how fast the balloon fills up?
- Does the size of the bottle affect how much the balloon fills? (***Was this apparent from our video? If so, please remove!)
- Can the amount the balloon fills up be controlled by the amount of vinegar or baking soda?
- Can you blow up a balloon with other acid ingredients, such as lemon juice or Kool-Aid?
Books and Learning Resources:
- Ada twist's Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists by Andrea Beaty
- The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science by Sean Connolly
- The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids by Liz Lee Heinecke
- Chemistry Projects to Build on: 4D an Augmented Reading Experience by Marne Ventura
- Fun with Mixing & Chemistry by Heidi Gold-Dworkin
- Step by Step Experiments in Chemistry by Janice Pratt-VanCleave
- Simple Science Projects by Kelly Milner Halls
- Super Simple Things to Do with Balloons: Fun and Easy Science for Kids by Kelly Doudna
- Science Experiments that Fizz and Bubble: Fun Projects for Curious Kids