Simple Chemistry At Home

Below is a quick and easy science activity that you can try at home.

Materials:
2 new Ziplock-type sandwich bags               Measuring spoons                Measuring cup  
Drinking glass                                                     2 paper towels                       Vinegar   
Clear cups                                                            Baking soda                           Warm water   
Food color                                                           Liquid soap                              Latex (or non-latex) glove

Tear a sheet of paper towel into a square measuring approximately 6” by 6”. Pour the baking soda into the center of the paper towel then fold the towel into an envelope with the power inside it. Pour ½ cup of vinegar and ¼ cup of warm water into the sandwich bag. Then, carefully but quickly, add the paper towel envelope to the bag and seal it. Shake the bag a little bit, then place it on the ground and stand back. The bag will inflate and then pop! 

Next, in one cup, place ½ cup of baking soda. In another cup, place ¼ cup of vinegar. Add food color if desired. Pour the vinegar (the liquid) into the baking soda and observe what happens. Kids can play with this mixture.

As an extension to the above experiment, pour ½ cup of baking soda in a clear cup. In another cup, place ¼ cup of vinegar and a few of drops of liquid soap. Hypothesize what will happen when the vinegar and soap is poured into the baking soda. Conduct the experiment and compare what changed when the liquid soap was added.

Another idea is to pour ½ cup of vinegar into a drinking glass. Add ¼ cup of baking soda to the inside of the glove. Hold the glove by its wrist and shake the powder into the fingers. Carefully attach the glove to the top of the glass so that there is no gap (use tape if needed). Pull the glove upright by its fingers and shake gently, allowing the baking soda to drop into the glass. Stand back and watch as the glove begins to fill up.

Why did that happen?
When mixed, vinegar and baking soda react to create carbon dioxide, which is a gas. In the first experiment, the carbon filled the bag, causing it to pop. In the last experiment, the carbon gas filled the latex glove much like the air from your lungs would fill it. Vinegar is an acid and the baking soda is a base. When the two are mixed, they create a chemical reaction.