Science Time – Balloon Inflating Experiments

M loves balloons, and he loves science experiments.  I’ve been meaning to do the first experiment below for some time now, and it finally happened this week.

The idea for the second experiment came from Fun with Mama.

  EXPERIMENT # 1:

M poured vinegar into a glass bud vase and we scooped some baking soda into our balloon.

I attached the balloon to the end of the vase and then M lifted it up so the baking soda would fall into the vinegar, to create carbon dioxide gas.

The vinegar and baking soda mixed together, began to fizz up and then the balloon started to expand at a very rapid rate.  At that point both M and I raced into the living room, as we are both deathly afraid of loud noises and were sure this thing was going to burst.  I had the sudden sickening realization that perhaps a glass vase was not the wisest choice for our experiment, since it would most likely be rocketed into a wall and smashed to bits.

Well, thankfully it didn’t break.  We eventually worked up enough courage to venture back into the kitchen and saw this:

  It worked!

 

EXPERIMENT # 2:

In this experiment we learned about molecules, tiny little invisible things that make up the air (and everything else, but we really didn’t go into that).  When they are warm they move around more and take up more space.  When they are cold they huddle closer together and take up less space.

M prepping the cold container:

I placed our balloon around the opening of a water bottle (plastic this time!).  I also filled up a second container with very hot water.

M placed the bottle in the hot water, and the balloon inflated!

He placed it in the cold container and the balloon deflated!

Mommy really knew what she was talking about with the whole crazy “invisible molecules” thing. ;)

For the record, M loved the second experiment and spent a good 20 minutes doing it over and over again.  First the cold, then the hot, then the cold, then the hot…

Head over to Science Sunday for more science activities!

Have a beautiful day! :)

Books of the Week – Thornton Burgess

We’ve been reading more and more chapter books lately.  I read out loud to M at lunch, which really helps me not to eat too much, which in turn helps my level of fatigue in the afternoon to not be too terribly awful. (Like you really needed to know all that, right? :) )

Anyway, we’ve just finished reading The Adventures of Buster Bear, by Thornton Burgess.  This was such a fun book to read.  I have to admit, I edited a tiny bit of it that had to do with hunting, but it was only a couple of pages and really minor.  This book is full of fun, and excitement.  it seems funny to say about animals, but the character development is wonderful. :)  The vocabulary that Burgess uses is great, and the context of the story is so easily understandable that new words were absolutely no problem for M.  In my opinion, this was good, old-fashioned storytelling at its best.  If your child loves animals, he or she will love these books!

There are not many illustrations, but I don’t think M even noticed.  The story is just detailed enough to help along one’s imagination.

I bought this book and many of the others in the widget above several years ago, and I’m so happy to be able to read them to my son now.  M is really looking forward to all the other stories!

For more reviews of children’s books, check out Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.

Have a beautiful day! :)