Cool Balloon Experiments

Use balloons for learning too and do these balloon experiments with your children to teach them science!

Balloons are such simple toys that can amuse any child. And although it is fun to play with, the fun does not have to stop playing. Use it for science too!

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 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. Then throw the water out.

2. Place the balloon inside the bottle and pull the end over the bottle’s opening.

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, 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 process. This air causes the balloon to inflate.

Will the balloon burst or not?

You will need:

• A few balloons
• A candle
• Matches/match sticks
• 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 lighted candle 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 of 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 we had with our balloon experiments! PS: Have you seen this Floating Eggsperiment?