Mad Science of Sacramento Valley - Yeasty Beasties!
Channel: Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
Date: 2013-12-04

What you need:

1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm tap water
2 teaspoons sugar
teaspoon
empty plastic bottle
balloon
pencil
paper

What you do:

1. Fill the bottle with warm (not hot) water.
2. Add one package of year and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bottle. Swirl to mix.
3. Inflate and deflate your balloon. Fit the mouth of the deflated balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Sit the bottle in a warm place.
4. Note the time when you started. Note the time when the balloon is inflated. How many hours did it take to inflate the balloon?

What's going on?

You used a chemical reaction to inflate a balloon! Yeast is a living organism. It feeds on sugar. It make alcohol and carbon dioxide gas as it uses up the sugar for energy. Carbon Dioxide gas takes up a lot of space. The gas released by the yeast filled up your balloon!

Now try this:

Turn this experiment into a science project. Measure how long it takes to inflate the balloon over the course of a day. Graph your notes!




Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
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