Ever tried to blow up a balloon without using your breath? This fizzy experiment lets you turn lemon juice and baking soda into a balloon-inflating team. It’s like science magic—but it’s all real!
WHAT YOU NEED
• A small plastic bottle or jar
• 1 balloon
• Lemon juice
• Baking soda (a.k.a. bicarbonate of soda)
• A funnel (or a piece of paper rolled into a cone)
LET THE INFLATING FUN BEGIN!
- Stretch it out!
Gently pull and stretch the balloon a few times to loosen it up. This makes it easier to inflate. - Juice it up
Fill your bottle about one-quarter of the way with lemon juice. - Spoon in the soda
Use your funnel to pour 1–2 teaspoons of baking soda into the balloon. Make sure it stays in the balloon and doesn’t fall into the bottle just yet! - Set the stage
Carefully stretch the open end of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Don’t let any of the baking soda fall in just yet—hang tight! - Let it fizz!
When you’re ready, lift the balloon so the baking soda drops into the lemon juice. Watch as it fizzes, and the balloon starts to inflate all on its own!
TRY THIS TOO!
Want to be a balloon-inflating pro? Try using different liquids like vinegar or lime juice and see which makes the balloon grow the most. Keep everything else the same (like the amount of baking soda) and compare the results. Take notes and become a citrus scientist!
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
When lemon juice (an acid) mixes with baking soda (a base), they create a chemical reaction that releases a gas called carbon dioxide—the same stuff that makes soda fizzy! That gas rises and fills the balloon, making it grow without a single puff of air from you.
