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Observing what happens when certain materials react to create bubbles and gas.
Have you ever wondered how to make a 'magic' potion that grows and bubbles all by itself using things from your kitchen?
To make a fizzy reaction, we need two special materials. First, we have baking soda. It is a white, powdery solid. Next, we have vinegar. It is a clear, sour-smelling liquid. When these two materials stay apart, nothing happens. But when they touch, they start to change! This is called a chemical change. A chemical change is what happens when materials mix together to make something brand new that wasn't there before.
Quick Check
What do we call it when two materials mix to create something brand new?
Answer
A chemical change.
As soon as the vinegar hits the baking soda, you will hear a hissing sound and see lots of tiny bubbles. This is called fizzing. These bubbles are not just filled with air; they are filled with a new material called a gas. Specifically, it is a gas called Carbon Dioxide, or . Because the gas takes up more space than the powder, it pushes upward and creates the foam you see!
Let's look at a simple way to see this: 1. Put 1 small spoonful of baking soda in a cup. 2. Add 1 small spoonful of vinegar. 3. Watch as the mixture grows or times its original size in just one second!
Quick Check
What is inside the bubbles that are created during the reaction?
Answer
A gas (Carbon Dioxide).
After the fizzing stops, the baking soda and vinegar look different. The white powder seems to disappear! This is because the materials have reacted to form the gas that flew away in the bubbles and a salty liquid left in the cup. You cannot easily turn the gas back into vinegar or baking soda. This is why we say the materials have changed into something else entirely.
Imagine putting vinegar in a bottle and baking soda inside a balloon. 1. Stretch the balloon over the top of the bottle. 2. Tip the powder into the liquid. 3. The gas () created by the fizzing will travel up and inflate the balloon automatically!
How can we make the reaction even bigger? 1. If you use spoons of vinegar instead of , will there be more bubbles? 2. Scientists test 'amounts' to see how they change the result. 3. Adding a drop of dish soap traps the gas even longer, making 'elephant toothpaste' foam!
What are the two main ingredients used to make this fizzy reaction?
What do the bubbles tell us is being created?
True or False: Fizzing is a sign of a chemical change.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to remember the name of the 'invisible' material that fills the bubbles when you mix vinegar and baking soda.
Practice Activity
With an adult, try adding a drop of food coloring to your vinegar before mixing it with baking soda to see 'colorful' chemical changes!