Balloon Piercing

Topics

Elasticity, pressure, equilibrium, evidence, model, explanation

Materials

  1. Balloons, knitting needle, bamboo skewer, or other narrow pointy object, oil, soap or other lubricant

Backgroung Information

The piercing object may act like a plug and the elasticity of the balloon may be strong enough to make a tight enough seal around the plug to block the air in the balloon from escaping.

Procedure

Inflate a balloon to about half its normal size.

  1. Tie the balloon.
  2. Use a sharp knitting needle or bamboo skewer and gently wiggle it to make a small puncture in a thick spot on the balloon.
  3. Smoothly slide the needle or skewer through the balloon and repeat the procedure on the other side of the balloon where it is also thick.
  4. For show stick the side of the balloon with a pin.
  5. Draw a picture or write an explanation for why it did not and did pop.
  6. For a hint you might pretend your finger is the puncturing object and slide it through a plastic bag.

 

 Robert D. Sweetland ©