Who among us didn’t love balloons as a child? One look at colorful balls, aiming for the sky, was enough to create a festive mood and expect something good. And such a picture leaves a rare adult indifferent. It’s not for nothing that celebrations of any scale are rarely complete without balloons. True, filling balloons with helium nowadays is an expensive pleasure. That's why we bring to your attention this anti-crisis life hack and an interesting part-time chemical experience. Cheap and cheerful!
To force anyone balloon to strive upward even without a helium tank, you will need the following ingredients:
1. Glass vessel with a narrow throat;
2. Half a liter of water;
3. Foil;
4. Pipe cleaner in granules ( sodium hydroxide);
5. Balloon
Make about a dozen balls from small pieces of foil. They should fit easily into the neck of the vessel.
Place drain cleaner granules into a container.
Pour half a liter of water into the flask.
Now pour the balls inside.
The chemical reaction will begin to occur almost immediately, so hurry up to “put” the ball on the neck of the flask. The main condition is not to shake the mixture.. Otherwise your ball is in best case scenario will not fly, and at worst, will explode. Instead, let both the container and the ball on top cool for half a minute before removing and tying.
Multi-colored balloons always give good mood. However, helium balloons are an expensive pleasure, so the question of how to make a helium balloon at home is often relevant.
Helium is a non-toxic monatomic gas, which is number two in periodic table Mendeleev. It is a colorless and odorless gas, it is much lighter than oxygen and carbon dioxide. The molecular weight of helium is 4, while oxygen has 32 and carbon dioxide has 44. That's how light helium is! Therefore, balls filled with this monatomic gas can fly, while the mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide weighs the ball down, causing it to fall. The lighter the contents of the ball, the more likely it is to fly.
Where can I get helium balloons?
Helium is produced by deep cooling of natural gases. Helium balloons are sold in circuses and specialty stores. To inflate such a balloon at home, purchase a special helium balloon. You can find out about the cost of the cylinder on the Internet. Unfortunately, it is impossible to produce helium experimentally chemically at home, so you will have to spend a significant amount. But you can conduct many other interesting experiments with balls, and at the same time gain new knowledge in chemistry.
Balloon inflated with soda and vinegar
A well-known chemical fact: the reaction of soda (NaHCO₃) and vinegar (CH₃COOH) is accompanied by abundant release of carbon dioxide. A ball with carbon dioxide, of course, will not fly due to its large atomic mass. But this experiment is very interesting, and the required solution can be prepared at home.
Balls filled with carbon dioxide
Show this trick to children to instill in them a love of chemistry: by inflating a balloon with a bottle, they will show interest in science, and perhaps little fidgets will make discoveries in the future.
What we need:
acetic acid, which is in everyone's kitchen (there is different types vinegar, but almost any will do);
baking soda;
empty bottle or flask with a volume of 1.5 liters;
gloves;
This kind of home trick is very easy to perform; even a child can do it. However, it is worth working with rubber gloves, since vinegar, especially strong vinegar, has an unpleasant effect on the skin: at best, a slight burn may occur. If this happens, you need to know that treating with soda or soap neutralizes acids. Therefore, it is better for children to carry out all experiments with dangerous chemicals by calling an adult for help.
So, we need to add soda to the ball (2 teaspoons per ball), and pour half a glass of acetic acid into the bottle. Don't rush to add too much baking soda. We put the ball on the bottle: the soda from the ball will pour into it, and a violent reaction will begin with the intense release of CO₂. Therefore, the balloon will inflate. If the reaction is weak and the balloon does not inflate, add more vinegar and soda, but do not shake the solution. This method is convenient for those who find it difficult to inflate balloons.
What experiment will make a balloon take off without helium?
This method will tell you how to make the ball fly. The experiment works, but keep in mind that this simple experiment is a fire hazard, so do it outside. You will also need safety glasses, a gown and gloves.
For the experience you will need:
pure sodium hydroxide;
glass flask.
aluminium foil;
water at room temperature;
You may also need the help of a partner. Pure sodium hydroxide can be found on hardware store shelves. For example, the Mister Muscle drain cleaner contains the substance needed for the experiment in its pure form. Try using other products with similar composition.
To begin, take the foil and roll ten small balls out of it that will fit into the hole of the flask. Pour the pipe cleaner into a flask and fill the substance with water. One sachet will require half a liter of water. Next, add all the balls that you managed to make into a container with water and cleaning solution. Do not shake the resulting solution, because a strong reaction will begin. The balloon, of course, will inflate, but condensation from the evaporation of gas will remain in it, which will make it heavier. Therefore the ball will not take off.
If the solution is not shaken, the reaction will proceed calmly. You can also do this: wait additional time so that the condensate inside the ball flows back into the flask. Therefore, for the experiment to work, you need attentiveness and patience. The result will not be long in coming: your balloon will fly no worse than a helium balloon!
Ball filled with hydrogen
This way we will get the desired effect. The substance released from the resulting solution contains explosive hydrogen. Therefore, you not only need to do the experiment on the street, but it is also dangerous to keep the balloons at home: if there is a spark nearby, the hydrogen will explode. You can find out what experiments with hydrogen can be done at home. During the experiment, you also need to be careful: if you add a lot of foil and product or start shaking the contents, you can get burned by the flask. Do not inhale the escaping gas.
They decorate the banquet hall, various competitions are held with them, and they are also attributes of children's entertainment at the celebration. And how beautiful is the ceremony of launching balloons into the sky by newlyweds on their wedding day or by graduates at a school party. What is the secret of the popularity of these bright rubber attributes? The fact is that they are light, fly excellently, and most importantly, do not fall to the ground. And this is all thanks to helium - a light special gas. In order to decorate your holiday with such attributes, you can contact companies that specialize in organizing events. They will arrange balloons inflated with helium for you without any problems. The price of one copy will be about 4-5 rubles. Few people know that you can inflate rubber bubbles yourself. To do this, use simple and available funds. How to do it at home and what can replace it? This topic is discussed in detail in the article.
Rules for inflating balloons with helium
In order to inflate a rubber bubble, you will need a balloon with this material. The ball is placed on a tube that is attached to the balloon. Hold the tail of the bubble with the fingers of one hand, and smoothly open the tap on the unit with the other hand. When the ball reaches the required size, the helium flow is stopped by closing the tap. The tail is tied in a knot and a thread or ribbon is attached to it. Now you know how to inflate balloons with helium at home? If you manage to get a special cylinder, you can do this without any problems.
But you can inflate balloons with the helium effect without this material. How? We'll talk about this further.
Method No. 1
To perform the balloon inflation procedure, prepare the following materials:
- plastic bottle;
- cup;
- funnel watering can;
- balloon;
- baking soda - 1 small spoon;
- lemon juice;
- table vinegar - 3 large spoons;
- scotch.
How to inflate balloons at home using helium? Follow the following recommendations and everything will work out. Fill the bottle a quarter full with water and dilute the soda in it. Mix vinegar and lemon juice in a glass. Pour this liquid through a funnel into a bottle. Put it on the neck very quickly plastic container ball and secure it with tape. As a result chemical reaction, which occurs during the interaction of soda and acid, is produced carbon dioxide, which creates pressure and inflates the ball. Then carefully remove the tape and quickly tie the rubber bubble with thread. Now hold it tightly so it doesn't fly away.
How to inflate balloons with helium at home? Aluminum foil and water can help you with this. This procedure should be performed away from children, as hazardous materials are used in the work. IN glass bottle add salt (about 80 grams) and copper sulfate. Throw a small piece of foil here. Now fill the container with water (400 grams). The reaction begins instantly. To avoid burning your hands, place the bottle in a saucepan with cold water. Place the ball onto the neck very quickly. It inflates in seconds. During the time during which the reaction occurs, two or three rubber bubbles can be inflated. It’s good if you have an assistant to tie the finished balloons while you pump up the next one.
We hope that the information on how to inflate balloons with helium at home will be useful to you, and you will try these methods when organizing your next holiday.
To create a truly festive mood you need balloons. Ask any person what the holiday is associated with, and he will, one way or another, say about balloons. Both adults and children really love them, so a holiday without such decorations... Not the most fun.
Even if there are pyrotechnics and various achievements of the entertainment industry. And if the balls fly, then it’s generally akin to magic. So, creating an unforgettable holiday with cool decorations is quite easy. Moreover, now many companies offer such a convenient service as balloon delivery.
Today there are many varieties of balloons - latex, round, long, in the shape of hearts or other shapes. There are foil ones: from small to huge, from simply round to complex shapes. There are balloons in the shape of cartoon characters, animals, letters and numbers. Matte, transparent, pearlescent, shiny, stars, flowers, animals, cars... Whatever. And yes, all this can fly - the main thing is that the ball is inflated with the right gas.
From our article you will learn what they cheat Balloons, what kind of gas they need to be inflated to make them fly and what you can use to inflate the balloons at home.
What gas is used to inflate balloons?
The most common is ordinary air. What could be easier than inflating a balloon? Nothing, especially if there is a pump. A couple of seconds - and bright decoration ready for the holiday. It is with air that balloons are inflated, from which flowers, garlands and all those decorations that are fixed on walls, stairs, and windows are made.What other gas is used to inflate balloons? Carbon dioxide. This is a method for those who love chemical experiments or simply do not want to bother with regular inflation.
To get carbon dioxide, just combine ordinary vinegar, 9% and soda. For one item you need 150 ml of vinegar and a tablespoon of soda. The powder is poured into a ball, after which its tail is pulled onto a bottle of vinegar, the ball is shaken so that the soda pours into the bottle. A violent reaction - and now the balloon is filled.
What do you inflate balloons with to make them fly?
Hydrogen was once used. But they quickly abandoned it, because when combined with oxygen it forms an explosive gas. A pyro show is, of course, interesting, but only if it is controlled. But a balloon explosion cannot be called controlled.
Therefore, they began to use helium instead of hydrogen. It is ideal - much lighter than air, completely inert and safe, quite affordable. Ideal gas for flying crafts. In addition, it is safe for health - helium is even included in mixtures for scuba divers. And interesting by-effect his inhalations, funny voice, even amusing. In addition, helium has no smell or taste. And if the decoration bursts, nothing bad will happen.
How to inflate balloons instead of helium at home?
In principle, helium is not so unavailable that it cannot be purchased for the home. But if you don’t want to buy a balloon, then there is only one option for a flying balloon: hydrogen. Yes, it is dangerous to some extent, but it is the only gas that is lighter than air, and it can be produced using improvised means. And it is obtained as follows:- 150 ml is poured into a bottle warm water;
- Pieces of ordinary foil are also thrown there;
- After this, add 3 tablespoons of caustic soda (caustic soda, drain cleaner);
- A balloon is immediately placed on the bottle.
Attention! Hydrogen is potentially dangerous, as are experiments with caustic soda. This gas should not be inhaled. You should also keep such balloons away from fire, including birthday cake candles, sparklers, etc. Therefore, if you want to decorate your holiday with flying balloons, you shouldn’t risk it. After all, the risk here is not only that the holiday will be ruined...
It is much better to go to a store where you can choose suitable balloons, and they will deliver them to you already inflated. Everything becomes much easier, and not so expensive. And you don’t need to think about how to inflate balloons at home, what to use instead of helium, and so on.
Material prepared by Mechtalion.ru.
Balloons can decorate any holiday. Many people do not know how to make a gel ball at home. But this skill will be useful to everyone, because you never know where “air toys” will be needed.
This article will describe three methods that will help you do this.
Everyone knows that the flying balloons that you can buy in circuses and parks are filled with helium. One thing you should not try to get it at home - it is not possible. Because the reactions that should synthesize helium can only occur under very low temperatures. But this does not mean that it is not possible to make a gel ball at home.
Inflating a balloon using vinegar and soda
You will need
- Ball;
- Any spoon;
- An empty bottle (preferably a two-liter bottle);
- Baking soda (in our case we need sodium bicarbonate);
- Table vinegar.
Manufacturing
- Pour vinegar into the bottle, about halfway.
- Add to ball with spoon baking soda(the bigger, the better).
- Place a balloon on the neck of the bottle.
- Ready!
But as a result of the reaction of vinegar with soda, carbon dioxide is formed, which is heavier than air. Therefore the ball will not take off. Of course, it's a shame, but you don't have to strain your mouth muscles to inflate the balloon. How can you make a ball so it can fly? Read below!
Electrical method
You will need
- Electrolyte (a good conductor is required, for example, potassium hydroxide or sulfuric acid);
- Water;
- Battery – 12 Watt;
- Two graphite electrodes (not copper ones, because they are destroyed);
- Two inflatable balls;
- Plastic bottles of two liters;
- A regular laundry basin.
Manufacturing
- Fill the basin with water approximately halfway.
- Then fill the bottle with electrolyte to the top.
- Place balloons on the neck of the bottle.
- Make holes at the bottom of each of them and insert electrodes into them.
- Place the bottles in the basin.
- Connect the electrodes to a 12 Watt power source.
- Finally, plug the battery into a power outlet.
After this the reaction will begin. The ball into which you inserted the cathode will be able to fly. It will contain hydrogen, which is lighter than air. And the second ball will be filled with oxygen. The design you made is called a Hoffmann apparatus. It should be something like this:
The most important thing in all this is tightness. It is necessary that the electrodes enter the bottle with force. This experiment relates to physics, but if you want to know how to make a ball chemically, then read on.
"Hydrogen projectile"
You will need
- Inflatable ball;
- Alkali (sodium hydroxide and caustic soda - also known as sodium hydroxide);
- Foil (aluminum, you can use another metal, but everyone has this one at home);
- Measuring spoon;
- Warm water;
- A small flask.
Manufacturing
- Fill the flask approximately halfway with warm water.
- Divide the foil into small pieces and pour into a container.
- Then add three tablespoons of sodium hydroxide (do this with gloves because the substance is dangerous to the skin).
- Place a ball on the neck of the flask.
- After this, shake it so that the foil is completely in an alkaline environment.
- The ball will begin to inflate.
