Blow Up a Balloon with Yeast

Materials:
A packet of yeast (available in the grocery store)
A small, clean, clear, plastic soda bottle (16 oz. or smaller)
1 teaspoon of sugar
Some warm water
A small balloon

Procedure:
1.
Fill
the
bottle
up
with
about
one
inch
of
warm
water.
(
When
yeast
is
cold
or
dry
the
micro
organisms
are
resting.)
2. Add all of the yeast packet and gently swirl the bottle a few seconds.
(As the yeast dissolves, it becomes active it comes to life! Dont bother looking for
movement,
yeast
is
a
microscopic
fungus
organism.)
3.
Add
the
sugar
and
swirl
it
around
some
more.
Like people, yeast needs energy (food) to be active, so we will give it sugar. Now the yeast
is eating!
4. Blow up the balloon a few times to stretch it out then place the neck of the balloon over
the
neck
of
the
bottle.
5.
Let
the
bottle
sit
in
a
warm
place
for
about
20
minutes
If all goes well the balloon will begin to inflate!

Explanation:
As the yeast eats the sugar, it releases a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas fills the bottle
and then fills the balloon as more gas is created. We all know that there are holes in
bread, but how are they made? The answer sounds a little like the plot of a horror movie.
Most breads are made using YEAST. Believe it or not, yeast is actually living
microorganisms! When bread is made, the yeast becomes spread out in flour. Each bit of
yeast makes tiny gas bubbles and that puts millions of bubbles (holes) in our bread before it
gets baked. Naturalists note The yeast used in this experiment are the related species
and strains of Saccharomyces cervisiae. (Im sure you were wondering about that.) Anyway,
when the bread gets baked in the oven, the yeast dies and leaves all those bubbles (holes)
in the bread. Yum.

ROLL A CAN WITH STATIC ELECTRICITY

Materials:
* An empty soda can
* blown-up balloon
* A head of hair

Procedure:

1. Place the can on its side on a flat smooth surface like a table or a smooth floor.
2. Rub the blown up balloon back and forth through your hair really fast.
3. Now the fun part Hold the balloon close to the can without actually touching the can.
The can will start to roll towards the balloon without you even touching it!
Try This Too: While youve got the balloon out, tear up part of a tissue into tiny pieces about
1/4 inch (.5 cm) big. Rub the balloon in your hair again and bring it close to the tissue
pieces. They will be attracted to the balloon and then jump away.

Explanation:
This works a lot like our bending water experiment. When you rub the balloon through your
hair, invisible electrons (with a negative charge) build up on the surface of the balloon. This
is called static electricity, which means non-moving electricity The electrons have the
power to pull very light objects (with a positive charge) toward them like the soda can.
MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT
The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to
answer these questions:
1. Does the size of the balloon change the power of the pull?

2. Does the length of the persons hair effect the power of the static electricity?
3. How much water can you put in the can until the balloon cant pull it anymore?

Make a Simple Duck Call

Materials:
One plastic straw from your kitchen or local fast food restaurant
Scissors
Lungs (dont worry you already have them)\

Procedure:
1. Use your fingers to press on one end of the straw to flatten it the flatter the better.
2. Cut the flattened end of the straw into a point (see below).
3. Flatten it out again real good.
4. Now take a deep breath, put the pointed end of the straw in your mouth and blow hard
into the straw. If all goes well you should hear a somewhat silly sound coming from the
straw. The smaller you are, the harder it may be to get a good sound sometimes adults
can get more of a sound thanks to their bigger lungs. If you still have trouble, try flattening it
out some more or cutting the straw in half.
5. Dont stop there try cutting the straw different sizes to see how the sound changes, or
make another identical straw and add the pointed end of the new straw to the uncut end of
the first straw (to make the first straw longer) The sound will be very different, (more like a
moose call!) and you will have to blow even harder, but give it a try.

Explanation:
This is science? It sure is. You see all sounds come from vibrations. That little triangle that
you cut in the straw forced the two pieces of the point to VIBRATE very fast against each
other when you blew through the straw. Those vibrations from your breath going through the
straw created that strange duck-like sound that you heard. Now you will never be bored
again when you go to a fast food restaurant! Have fun!

NASHRE
L
Porfolio of
Experiments
AVOIDIN
G

PEPPER
MARSHM
ALLOWC
ATAPULT
FLOATING
LETTER

WATER RISES
FLOWING
WATER
MAGIC
MATCH
GRAVITY DEFYING WATER

Blow Up a Balloon
with Yeast
ROLL A CAN WITH
STATIC
ELECTRICITY
Make a Simple
Duck Call