Student Pink

1. TITLE
Balloon Blow Up
2. HYPOTHESIS
The more baking soda we put in the balloon, the more carbon dioxide we get from both
variables.

3. VARIABLES
Independent Variable : Amount of baking soda
Dependent Variable: Height of Balloon

4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate experiment is a very common experiment that can easily be done at
home or with children to gain scientific knowledge about chemical reactions. Both variables are common
household items that create a fun chemical reaction. The reaction is an acid-base reaction between a dilute
solution and a basic compound which creates a fizzy product of a gas called CO^2. It was first documented in
a cookbook in 1796 (UCSB Science Line, 2015). Basically, Vinegar is an acid, a liquid with a high pH, while
baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a basic compound. Acids and bases have a very active reaction against
each other, absorb heat or carbon dioxide gas. Up until today, the classic chemical reaction has many
purposes, most commonly used for cleaning tasks in the house, and for volcanic eruption models with its
explosive reaction.

5. MATERIALS
REAGENTS LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
- 30 g Baking soda (sodium - Flask
bicarbonate) - Measuring Plate
- 60 g Vinegar (acetic acid) - Ruler
- Balloons - Graduated Cylinder
- Timer
- Tissue Paper
- spoon

6. PROCEDURE
1) Put on safety glasses and gloves
2) Measure 5g, 10g, and 15g of baking soda on the measuring plate
3) Pour the baking soda into three different balloons
4) Pour 20g of vinegar into the graduated cylinder
5) Pour the vinegar into a flask
6) Cover the flask with the balloon
7) Prepare timer and measuring tool (ruler)
8) Start the timer
9) Pour the baking soda into the flask
10) Measure the height of the balloon (every 5 seconds)
11) Record the data
 12)Repeat the process with the other two balloons
13) Collect and compare the data
14)Clean up the surface

7. SAFETY
- Wear glasses and gloves to protect your skin from the experiment
- Hold the flasks and the graduated cylinder with care
- Be careful of the balloon when doing the experiment
- Clean up the space after finishing the experiment

8. RESULTS ( QUALITATIVE / QUANTITATIVE)

Amount of baking 5 gram 10 gram 15 gram

soda

Height of Balloon 9 inch 8 inch 8.5 inch

 9. ANALYSIS
In all honesty, the results of the lap experiment seems a little off because of how the pattern didn’t match. Our
hypothesis was that the more baking soda we put into the 20g of vinegar, the more carbon dioxide gas the
reaction produces. The outcome, however, showed the almost opposite results. It is most likely that the more
baking soda we pour into the vinegar, the less carbon dioxide gas it produces. Surprisingly to us, it seems like
the amount of baking soda might overpower dilute solution and limit the reactant from producing gas. The least
amount of baking soda was 5 grams, which resulted in the highest amount of carbon dioxide gas produced.
The lab results weren’t completely opposite from our hypothesis, but it did contradict our thinking. Although, in
our situation, there were many disrupting factors that might have affected the results of the experiment. First,
the shape of the balloon was quite limiting and caused a small delay or reverse effect to the explosive reaction.
Second, there was not enough pressure to the balloon to secure the gas from escaping the balloon which
might have defected the height of the balloon or the amount of gas that was evident for data collection.
Accordingly, in analysis of the resulting outcome, the increasing amount of baking soda added to the remaining
20 grams of vinegar was an unequal reaction that caused a decrease in reaction of carbon dioxide gas
produced (Controlling the Amount, N.D.). Simply to say, if there were extra vinegar added to the experiment
along the way, the results would align with our hypothesis, with the gas reaction increasing along with the
amount of the variable. But again, in this experiment, the variables weren’t equal and the atoms of sodium
bicarbonate were overpowering the other variable, and there were no atoms of vinegar left to react to the
baking soda, resulting in a decreased amount of gas reaction.

10. CONCLUSION
In the end, our hypothesis did not comply with the results of the lab experiment. The balloon heights ended up
showing the opposite outcome and analysis from what we predicted. In our initial prediction, we thought the
reaction produced from the experiment would increase with the amount of baking soda applied to the vinegar.
However, data has evidently shown that unequal amounts of variables in a chemical reaction would result in a
reversed or decreased amount of reaction due to leftover access amount of a variable, in this case sodium
bicarbonate. During our experiment, the least amount of baking soda, 5 grams, added to the 20 grams of
vinegar showed the most reaction with the most amount of carbon dioxide gas produced (data measured by
the height of the balloon covering the opening of the flask) But as we continued to increase the amount of
baking soda without adding more vinegar without balance between the two variables, one overpowered the
other and there were not enough acetic acid molecules to react with the excess sodium bicarbonate.

11. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT

Like all other lab experiments, our balloon lab experiment has its flaws and mistakes that could be revised and
improved in the future. Firstly, the materials must be chosen very carefully to ensure the expected results or the
process of getting the data. During our experiment, there was a change of plans to how we would measure the
chemical reaction of each amount. The balloons that were used in the experiment weren’t flexible enough to
blow up into a circular shape for us to measure the circumference of the balloon. Instead, it shaped into a
weirdly-shaped cylinder pointing upwards, so we had to measure its height instead. Secondly, because this
was our first time with this lab experiment, we were not careful of which balloon was which amount of baking
soda. Although I’m pretty sure that our results are correct, we could’ve been more careful and accurate to
prevent mistakes and flawed results. Lastly, safety measures in all lab experiments should always be reminded
to be taken seriously and constantly. In our case, I didn’t have my safety glasses on the whole process and
was exposed to the chemicals in the face. There were no injuries but it did remind me to always keep safety
measures in mind.

12. REFERENCES
References

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=5162

Controlling the Amount of Products in a Chemical Reaction. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson2

NOTE.
Your lab report should include:

1. Results (Data, graphs)

2. Analysis (Answers to the proposed questions)
3. Conclusions (answer the hypothesis, supported by the results).

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

✓ QUIZ BASED ON THE LAB GUIDE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS.

✓ PRINTED LAB GUIDE.
✓ YOUR REPORT MUST BE WRITTEN IN THE SAME LAB GUIDE TEMPLATE,
SHOWING YOUR WORK DURING THE LAS SESSIONS.
✓ Lab report following the given criteria.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=5162

Controlling the Amount of Products in a Chemical Reaction. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson2