Mixture Science Experiments

When we mix things together and something happens to those things, or make something new, the process is called a chemical reaction. Here are two simple experiments to help your students understand this scientific principle.

Vinegar and Baking Soda Balloon

This 5 minute experiment will allow you to inflate a balloon without having to blow air into it. You will need a small water or juice bottle (empty and rinsed out), a latex balloon, 4 tablespoons vinegar, and 2 tablespoons baking soda. You may also want to get a small funnel if there is one handy to help get the baking soda into the balloon.

First, pour the vinegar into the bottle. Use the funnel to spoon the baking soda into the balloon. Hold the balloon so that the baking soda doesn't tip into the bottle and stretch the opening of the balloon to fit over the neck of the bottle. Slowly straighten out the balloon and tip it upside down so the baking soda falls into vinegar into the bottle. Record pictures of what the balloon and bottle look like before and after the experiment.

Mixing vinegar with baking soda causes a chemical reaction. This changes the original ingredients. Vinegar and baking soda react to each other and produce carbon dioxide. The vinegar bubbles when the baking soda is dumped in and then the carbon dioxide rises through the vinegar into the air, partially blowing up the balloon.

Carbon Acetate Pennies

Witness copper pennies turning green with some paper towels, 2 bright, shiny pennies, ¼ cup vinegar, and a small bowl. This experiment can be done overnight.

First, draw a picture of the pennies. Fold a paper towel in half, and then fold it in half again into a square. Put the folded paper towel in the bottom of the bowl. Pour the vinegar into the bowl until the paper towel is soaked. No extra vinegar should be on top of the paper towel. Place the two pennies on the top of the wet paper towel and leave them there overnight. The next morning, take the pennies out of the bowl and make note of the changes you see.

Acetic acid in vinegar creates carbon acetate when it touches a metal called copper, the main ingredient in pennies. The changes you noticed on the pennies are not visible on the underside because this chemical reaction requires oxygen from the air to make the reaction possible.