We have talked about respiration before when we made bread.
This is another very easy experiment that demonstrates respiration in action and is quicker than making bread if you are short of time.
Blow up a balloon with yeast
A balloon
A small clear drinks bottle
A packet of dried yeast
Warm water
1 teaspoon of sugar
Instructions
1. Blow the balloon up a few times to give it some stretch. This just makes it easier for the experiment to work.
2. Fill the small bottle about 3cm full of warm water.
3. Add the yeast and swirl until dissolved and then add the 1 teaspoon of sugar.
4. Place the Balloon over the open top so that is seals it.
5 Over the next half an hour watch what happen. (Obviously do other stuff and come back, it may be a little boring to actually watch it for half an hour!)
You should find this happens!
Yeast and Respiration
Yeast is a living organism. In order for it to survive it needs to make energy. In its dried form the yeast is dormant, but as soon as you provide it with warmth, water and sugar (it’s food) it ‘wakens’ and becomes active. The sugar (glucose) reacts with the oxygen from the bottle to make water, energy and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is a gas and this is what you see filling the balloon.
The equation for respiration is
Glucose + Oxygen –> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy
Oooh I like this one a lot! I am storing them all up for rainy days but I’ll get to this one quite quickly!
What a cool project! Do the balloons float, then, like helium?
That’s so cool! We love everything science! My kids will love this!
Brilliant experiment!!!! The kids will love it!
Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy & Alissa
all the experiments simple and kids could easily understand the concepts behind it.