Under Pressure

Introduction

Do you ever wonder why you can only blow so much air into a balloon before it bursts? Or why a volcano erupts and shoots gases, dust, and molten rock high up into the air? This activity will allow you to explore reactions similar to these in the safety of your own classroom! Be sure to wear your safety goggles whenever you work with chemical reactions — this activity is a BLAST!

Objectives

In this activity, you will

• Record what happens to the air pressure when you combine vinegar and baking soda in a plastic water bottle.
• Find out what happens when you mix different amounts of vinegar and baking soda together.

Sensors and Equipment

This experiment features the following Vernier sensors and equipment.

Option 1

Option 2

Additional Requirements

You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?