Can You Pour a Gas?

★ Do you believe that you can pour gas?

★Time: about 5minutes (set up and cleaning included)

★Cost: $0 (if you have all the materials in the house)

★Area of Science: General Science / Chemistry

★Learning Objectives: Students can learn differences in density of gas.

★Materials :

1. Candle

2. Match

3. Cups

4. Baking soda

5. Vinegar

★Procedure:

1. Light a candle

2. Put some baking soda in a cup

3. Pour some vinegar in the same cup

4. Wait for about three to five seconds and pour the gas formed in the cup on to another cup.

5. It may look awkward, but trust me

6. Make sure that the baking soda and vinegar mixture do not get poured as well.

7. Now pour the gas in the new cup on the candle.

8. See what happens!

★Why does this happen? This is because when baking soda is mixed with vinegar, carbondioxide is produced. Since carbondioxide is heavier(denser) than the air, it tends to stay down. That is the reason why we can pour the gas. The fire goes off, because oxygen is needed in combustion. When there is only carbondioxide, the fire will be extinguished.

★Tips on the experiment

1. Do not use too much of vinegar and baking soda.

2. Do not let the kids be near the fire.

3. Do the experiment inside the house for the wind will blow the carbon dioxide away.