“Levitating soap bubbles” experiment
Home experiment with vinegar and baking soda
Have you ever dreamed of controlling objects by telekinesis? In this experiment, you’ll find out how to make bubbles float in the air.
Safety precautions
Perform this experiment under adult supervision.
Reagents and equipment
- container;
- sodium bicarbonate;
- 9% table vinegar;
- soap bubbles;
- large beaker.
Step-by-step instructions
Sprinkle sodium bicarbonate into a beaker and add vinegar. Wait one minute. Carefully pour the resulting gas into a container. Blow some soap bubbles into the container and watch!
Processes description
Sodium bicarbonate reacts with vinegar, releasing carbon dioxide. carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so it is easy to pour into the container. Soap bubbles are merely air encased in a soap membrane, and thus don’t sink in the container – they are “supported” by the invisible carbon dioxide.
NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH = CH₃COONa + ↑CO₂ + H₂O