MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) – For this Science Corner experiment, we are going to make a plastic bag pop without touching it, by just mixing a few ingredients inside! 

SUPPLIES:

  1. 1/4 cup of water
  2. 1/2 cup of vinegar
  3. 3 tsp of baking soda 
  4. Paper towel 
  5. Food coloring (optional)
  6. Plastic baggie 

STEPS:

  1. Dump the water and vinegar into the plastic bag
  2. Add ten drops of food coloring to the bag 
  3. Close the baggie almost completely, leaving just a corner open
  4. Add the 3 tsp of baking soda into the center of a square of paper towel (1/4 of a full paper towel)
  5. Fold the paper towel with the baking soda inside to form somewhat of a packet
  6. Now work quickly! Squeeze the paper towel full of baking soda into the corner you left open of the bag
  7. Close it up quickly, shake it, and stand back! 

EXPLANATION:

So why did the baggie pop? When the baking soda and vinegar were mixed, it caused a chemical reaction. The mixing of these two ingredients created a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas filled the bag and expanded so much that it eventually popped the bag.