LEMON CHEMISTRY
WATCH THIS!
For all science experiments, write a hypothesis before starting the experiment. A hypothesis is an educated guess. What do you think will happen based on what you already know? After you make your hypothesis, try out the experiment and see if you were right!
MATERIALS
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Lemon juice
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Baking Soda
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Liquid dish soap
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A small measuring cup
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Measuring spoons
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A clear glass or plastic bottle
OUR VARIABLES
INDEPENDENT
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The amount of baking soda added
DEPENDENT
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The circumference of the balloon
CONTROLLED
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The amount of liquid dish soap
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The amount of lemon juice
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The amount of time given to react
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The environment
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The size of the glass/ plastic bottle
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The type of balloon used
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Have an adult or an older sibling to help you with the experiment
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Perform the experiment in a tray or over a sink just in case the balloon explodes!
Wear an apron, goggles and gloves because this might get messy!
LET'S START!
1. Copy this table into your books
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2. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda into an empty glass or plastic bottle
3. Add 5ml of liquid dish soap to the baking soda. Stir these up.
4. Pour 20ml of lemon juice into the glass/plastic bottle.
5. Quickly wrap the opening of the glass/plastic bottle
with a balloon and hold it tightly for 8 minutes
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6. Once 8 minutes is up, carefully remove the balloon from the glass and tie the end into a knot
7. Add ½ tsp of baking soda into an empty glass/ plastic bottle
8. Add 5ml of liquid dish soap to the baking soda. Stir these up.
9. Pour 20ml of lemon juice into the glass/plastic bottle.
10. Quickly wrap the opening of the glass/plastic bottle with a balloon and hold it tightly for 8 minutes
11. Once 8 minutes is up, carefully remove the balloon from the glass and tie the end into a knot
12. Add ¼ tsp of baking soda into an empty glass/ plastic bottle
13. Add 5ml of liquid dish soap to the baking soda. Stir these up.
14. Pour 20ml of lemon juice into the glass/plastic bottle.
15. Quickly wrap the opening of the glass/plastic bottle with a balloon and hold it tightly for 8 minutes
16. Once 8 minutes is up, carefully remove the balloon from the glass and tie the end into a knot
17. Measure the circumference of all three balloons and enter the data into a table similar to the one below
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12. Go back to your hypothesis. Were you right?
What do you notice? Are the balloons different sizes?
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
​​This experiment is an example of an acid-base reaction. The baking soda (a base) and the lemon juice (an acid) combine to release carbon dioxide gas (CO2). The liquid dish soap then turns the bubbles into a foam that usually erupts out of the glass. Since we have a balloon wrapped around the opening of the glass, instead of erupting out of the glass, the foam and the gas fills up the balloon.