Balloons are such simple toys that can amuse any child. Use balloons for learning too and do these experiments with your children and teach them science!
Balloon Hovercraft
Use the power of air to make a balloon mobile that moves on a table or on the floor.
You will need:
-An old cd
-Lid of a sports bottle
-Glue
-A balloon
1. Use the glue to paste the lid of the bottle to the cd.
2. Blow up the balloon and close the open end with your fingers.
3. Pull the open end of the balloon over the lid. Open the balloon and give it a light push and see how it moves across the table.
We tried it on different surfaces to see which surface let it go faster or slower. The tile floor was the fastest. It was great fun to try.
What happened? The scientific explanation:
The air in the balloon escapes through the hole forming a thin layer of air between the cd and the table. The air minimizes friction and allows the cd to move across the table.
Inflated balloon inside a bottle
You will need:
-A glass bottle
-A balloon
-Warm water
-A bowl with cold water
-A measuring jar
1. Pour warm water into the bottle and allow it to stand for a minute for the water to warm the bottle. Than throw the water out.
2. Place the balloon inside the bottel and pull the end over the opening of the bottle.
3. Place the bottle in the bowl of cold water. See how the balloon expands on the inside of the bottle.
Why did this happen? The scientific explanation:
The hot water warms up the bottle and the bottle causes the air in it also to get warm and expands filling the space in the bottle. When the bottle is placed in cold water the air in the bottle cools down and shrinks also taking up less space. The air on the outside of the bottle then streams into the bottle to fill the empty space that was created by the cooling down prosess. This air causes the balloon to inflate.
Will the balloon burst or not?
You will need:
-A few balloons
-A candle
-Matches
-Measuring jar
-Water
1. Blow the balloon up and hold it over the flame. Count how many seconds it takes before it bursts.
(My kids did not expect this so by the second try they closed their ears.)
2. Now use the measuring jar and pour some water into a balloon .
3. Hold the balloon over the candle again and count how long it takes to burst.
This time it didn’t burst.
Why the different results? The scientific reason for this is that rubber is not a good conductor if heat and the rubber melts quickly where the flame burns. Water on the other hand is a good conductor of heat and therefore spreads the heat of the flame quickly away from the rubber causing it not to burst.
Such fun experiments using balloons!
[…] Balloon Experiments […]