My 10 year old son checked out a book of science experiments from the library. The book was quite old, but he really enjoyed reading it.
There was one experiment he wanted to do more than any other, probably because it involved fire. 🙂
Yesterday we gave it a whirl. Here’s how we did it.
Supplies
- 1/2 Cup Vinegar
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda (heaping)
- Cup (bigger than 8 ounces)
- Piece of Cardboard or a Small Plate
- Candle
- Matches
- Piece of Paper
- Measuring Cups & Spooons
Instructions
1. Fold the piece of paper in half lengthwise.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into a cup.
2. Add the heaping teaspoon of baking soda to the cup.
3. Place the cardboard or plate (We found the small plate worked best.) over the cup.
4. Light the candle.
The picture above shows why I said to use a cup that holds more than 8 ounces. Our cardboard got soaked and the cup overflowed.
When we switched to the larger cup and a plate the experiment worked better.
5. Have one person hold the paper, or trough, so that it angles towards the candle.
Be careful not to get too close or you will catch the paper on fire.
6. Have another person take the lid off of the cup and aim it down the paper trough.
The carbon dioxide will be released from the cup and will extinguish the candle.
My son was so excited that the experiment worked, he wanted me to videotape him trying it again.
While the experiment didn’t work in the video, I think you will get a kick out of what happened at the end.
Plus, my son did a good job explaining the process of the experiment, if I do say so myself. 🙂
If you are reading this via email or in a reader you may need to visit the blog to see the video.
While simply blowing out the candle would have been a simpler way to understand how carbon dioxide extinguishes a flame, making a chemical reaction to do the job was much more interesting. 🙂
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