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We continue to enjoy the Pop Bottle Science book and kit that Giki and Pop-Pop gave BJ for his birthday -- few days go by without him asking to do another experiment. (Thanks again, Giki and Pop-Pop!) One of the more successful ones so far has been the Raisin Ballet.
The premise of the kit is a bunch of experiments (79 to be exact) that can be done with a soda pop bottle. The pop bottle included in the kit has been split in two so that the top is removable, and many of the experiments (like this one) use only the bottom half. That means many of the experiments, including this one, could easily have used a large, clear drinking glass or other transparent container. So feel free to play along at home, with or without your own soda bottle. Here's what you do:
Fill your tall, clear container about halfway with water. Pour in 4 tablespoons (or more) of white vinegar. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda. The mixture should begin to fizz -- if it doesn''t, add more vinegar and baking soda.
Next, drop in a bunch of raisins (10 or so).
Now watch -- the raisins will sink, but they should soon start "dancing" up and down in the liquid.
Clearly, the kids thought it was pretty neat. As the book explains, the carbon dioxide bubbles given off by the reaction between vinegar and baking soda gather around the raisins until there's enough to lift the raisins towards the top. Then the bubbles pop, and the raisins sink, and the process starts over.
What's funny is that I remember doing this sort of experiment with a glass of Sprite. The carbon dioxide bubbles in the carbonated soda have the same effect. So you could also do your pop bottle science with actual soda pop, if you are so inclined.
The premise of the kit is a bunch of experiments (79 to be exact) that can be done with a soda pop bottle. The pop bottle included in the kit has been split in two so that the top is removable, and many of the experiments (like this one) use only the bottom half. That means many of the experiments, including this one, could easily have used a large, clear drinking glass or other transparent container. So feel free to play along at home, with or without your own soda bottle. Here's what you do:
Fill your tall, clear container about halfway with water. Pour in 4 tablespoons (or more) of white vinegar. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda. The mixture should begin to fizz -- if it doesn''t, add more vinegar and baking soda.
Next, drop in a bunch of raisins (10 or so).
Now watch -- the raisins will sink, but they should soon start "dancing" up and down in the liquid.
Clearly, the kids thought it was pretty neat. As the book explains, the carbon dioxide bubbles given off by the reaction between vinegar and baking soda gather around the raisins until there's enough to lift the raisins towards the top. Then the bubbles pop, and the raisins sink, and the process starts over.What's funny is that I remember doing this sort of experiment with a glass of Sprite. The carbon dioxide bubbles in the carbonated soda have the same effect. So you could also do your pop bottle science with actual soda pop, if you are so inclined.
2 comments:
fun!
and half the fun is the chemistry sciency magic alchemical mixing of ingredients to make the raisins dance....which is a lot of the thrill for the kids. there's a 'hey, look what i did!' aspect that is much more fun than plain old sprite. ;)
You're totally right, Cathy -- that was indeed much of the fun here. Well put!
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