Blowing up balloons

Blowing up balloons

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about the properties of gases.

Question 1Change answer

How to do this task:
  1. Push one of the balloons inside the soft drink bottle, and then stretch the open end of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle so that it fits firmly.
  2. Try to blow up the balloon inside the bottle.
  3. Try to blow up the other balloon that is not inside the bottle.
  4. Repeat the experiment a couple of times.
a) What did you observe?

Question 1Change answer

b)  Using your knowledge about the properties of gases, explain your observations.  
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with some equipment, and pencil and paper or online.
 
Equipment
Two balloons; 600 mL soft drink bottle.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Material World
Keywords: 
properties, gas, investigation, practical
Description of task: 
For this practical task students use their knowledge about the properties of gases to explain their observations when they blow up a balloon that is inside a bottle and a balloon that is not inside a bottle.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss:
  • describing being about what you see, and explaining being about what your observations make you think.
  • how our science understandings help us explain what we observe.
 
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data
Answers/responses: 
a) Accurate recording of observations, e.g., the balloon inside the bottle did not inflate when it was blown into, but it would inflate outside the bottle.
b) Gases take up room even though you can't see them. The bottle was already filled with air so the balloon could not inflate.