How to Inflate a Balloon with Baking Soda and Vinegar

https://www.wikihow.it/Gonfiare-un-Palloncino-con-Bicarbonato-di-Sodio-e-Aceto

Learn how to inflate a balloon with simple ingredients you can find at home.Thanks to this method, you can fill plastic balloons with carbon dioxide produced by the ingredients reacting with each other.There's no trace of helium, so they won't fly.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Inflate the balloon

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1
Pour some vinegar into a plastic bottle. Choose one that held water or another type that has a narrow neck.Pour some vinegar so that there is 3-5 cm of liquid at the bottom;for this operation use a funnel, if you have one available.You can use white vinegar or distilled vinegar not suitable for food use to achieve excellent results.
- You can try this method with any type of vinegar, but it will take longer or require more liquid.Furthermore, other types of vinegar are more expensive.
- Remember that vinegar can damage metal containers and give an unpleasant taste to both food and drinks that you later put in these containers.If you don't have plastic bottles, use a high-quality stainless steel one to minimize this risk.You can also consider diluting the vinegar with water (to make it less aggressive), but be aware that it will take longer to inflate the balloon.^{[1]
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2
Use a funnel or straw to pour some baking soda into a deflated balloon. You can use any type of balloon and any color.Grasp it by the opening loosely and make sure that it is facing you.Insert the funnel, if you have one, into the balloon and pour about two tablespoons of baking soda, the balloon should be half full.^{[2]
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- If you don't have a funnel, insert a plastic straw into a pile of baking soda, close the top opening with your finger, and then stick it in the balloon.At this point, lift your finger and tap the straw to make the baking soda fall.Repeat this procedure until you have filled 1/3 of the balloon.^{[3]
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At this stage, be careful not to drop the baking soda.Grasp the opening of the balloon with both hands and stretch it wide to wrap around the neck of the plastic bottle you put the vinegar in.Have a friend hold the bottle steady so it doesn't wobble.
4
Lift the balloon and observe the reaction. The baking soda will fall into the bottle through the neck and come into contact with the vinegar at the bottom.At this point, the two compounds will react with each other and fizz, transforming into different chemical compounds.One of these is carbon dioxide, a gas which, as it rises, will inflate the balloon.
- Gently shake the bottle to mix the two ingredients if not many bubbles are produced.
5
If nothing happens, try again using larger amounts of vinegar or baking soda. If the reaction has stopped, but the balloon is still deflated even after counting to 100, empty the bottle and try again by increasing the doses of reagents.The residues that remained in the bottle have transformed into different compounds, mostly water, so they are not reusable.
- Don't overdo it, the bottle should never be filled with vinegar more than 1/3 of its capacity.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

The Mechanism of Action

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All the matter that surrounds us is made up of molecules, that is, different types of substances.Often, two types of molecules react with each other, breaking apart and recomposing to form different molecules.
2
Learn about baking soda and vinegar. THE reagents, that is, the substances that reacted with each other creating the effervescence that you could see, are sodium bicarbonate and vinegar.Unlike other household products, both of these ingredients are simple compounds and not the result of several elements:
- Sodium bicarbonate is also called sodium hydrogen carbonate.
- White vinegar is a mixture of acetic acid and water.Only acetic acid reacts with bicarbonate.
3
Read up on the reaction. Baking soda is a defined substance basic.Vinegar, or acetic acid, is a substance acidic.Bases and acids react with each other, partially breaking down and creating different substances.This process describes a "neutralization" because the product is neither acidic nor basic.In the example described here you get water, a type of salt and carbon dioxide.Carbon dioxide, a gas, leaves the liquid mixture and expands in the bottle to the balloon, inflating the latter.
- Although the definition of acid and base may seem complicated, you can compare the differences between the original substances and the "neutralized" product to take note of obvious changes.For example, vinegar has a strong odor and can be used to dissolve scale and grime.Once mixed with baking soda, the smell is less intense and the cleansing ability is also no better than pure water.
4
Study the chemical formula. If you know chemistry or are curious about how scientists describe reactions, the formula below represents the reaction that occurs between sodium bicarbonate NaHCO₃ and acetic acid HC₂H₃OR₂(aq)NaC₂H₃OR₂.Can you imagine how each molecule breaks down and puts itself back together again?
- NaHCO₃(aq) + HC₂H₃OR₂(aq) → NaC₂H₃OR₂(aq) + H₂O(l) + CO₂(g).
- The letters in brackets indicate the status of the various elements:"g" stands for gaseous, "l" for liquid and "aq" for aqueous.
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Advice

You can also use this method to fly homemade cardboard or plastic rockets.They will travel a long way until the ingredients are used up.The chemical reaction creates gas which, as it accumulates, generates pressure.

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Warnings

If the solution continues to fizz, but the balloon is fully inflated, be aware that it may burst.Decide in advance when to detach it from the bottle or prepare to protect your face before the explosion!

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Things you will need

Balloon
Vinegar
Baking soda
Bottle with thin neck
Funnel (optional)

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