What explains the result?
Acid and bicarbonate react to form carbon dioxide gas, which inflates the balloon until a reactant runs short.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE · GRADES 4–8
Gas from baking soda and vinegar
INVESTIGATION QUESTIONHow does baking-soda amount change gas volume?
● ILLUSTRATIVE SCIENCE MODEL
ENGLISH CAPTIONS
Set out open bottles. The setup safely directs gas into a flexible balloon.
0.0 / 3.0 s
Where does this matter?
Gas production is used in baking, fire extinguishers, and chemical manufacturing.
What should you keep in mind?
The bottle size, seal, temperature, and excess reactant affect the balloon; never seal a rigid vessel.
DEDICATED CARBON-DIOXIDE REACTION LAB · GRADES 4–9
Inflate by
reaction
Compare how measured baking-soda amounts react with equal vinegar volumes. Collect the new gas in balloons and compare expansion.
THREE BOTTLE · BALLOON REACTION RACKREADY
1 tsp NaHCO₃
60 mL VINEGAR
REACTION 12 tsp NaHCO₃
60 mL VINEGAR
REACTION 23 tsp NaHCO₃
60 mL VINEGAR
REACTION 3NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH → CH₃COONa + H₂O + CO₂ ↑
BALLOON COMPARISON
Expansion by baking-soda amount
After a real reaction, measure each balloon at its widest point with a flexible tape. Keep bottle size, vinegar amount, balloon type and timing constant.
WHAT CHANGED: Vinegar's acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate. The products include sodium acetate, water and carbon dioxide gas. More baking soda may produce more gas until vinegar becomes the limiting reactant. Balloon circumference is only an indirect estimate of gas amount.