You will need:

• Baking soda (= alkali)
• Vinegar (= acid)
• 1 empty, clean bottle
• 1 spoon
• 1 balloon

What to do:

1. Fill the bottle about one third with vinegar (your acid).
2. Use the spoon to fill the balloon with baking soda (your alkali). You might need another person to help you and hold the balloon open.
3. Put the opening of the balloon over the opening of the bottle. (See image above.)
4. Now tip the baking soda from the balloon into the bottle.
5. A neutralization reaction will take place where the acid and alkali react to form the products salt, water and carbon dioxide. All three products are neutral substances. Observe what happens.

Questions

1. Which signs do you see that tell you a chemical reaction is happening?
2. What happens generally in a neutralization reaction?
3. Which two products are formed in the neutralization reaction?
4. Which colour would the following have when adding universal indicator?                   A) Vinegar          B) Baking soda       C) The products after the reaction

You can watch this experiment on YouTube: