Balloon Science

Kate and Purerehua have an on going love of balloons and sound. Today for instance they were experimenting with using balloons to make sounds as they let the air out, and feeling the air inside them. To help them find out about what was making all that noise and making their hair blow, Jo helped them to set up an experiment to weigh empty balloons against full ones, and full balloons against partially inflated ones.
As they worked (practising their fine motor skills in the process) Jo asked them question and they started to predict what they thought the outcomes would be. Having made observations of their first experiment they were soon able to deduce what would happen in their later ones.

So what good is air pressure? Well to find out more Jo helped them tie two balloons alongside each other and blow in between them.

Purerehua "They go up again and they kissed."

Kate "They touched"

Annaliese "When I blowed it they jumped together."

A feather helped them see the effects of their breath and gauge direction and velocity.

In the early parts of the day, they freezing air has helped them find out more about what's in their breath as well. They've blown up the balloons and shown Jo the condensation that forms as their warm breath touches the cool outsides of the balloon under pressure.

Kate (who has a family relationship with helicopters) has decided she would now like to make a balloon powered rotor. One balloon on each end we think, to spin the rotor around a central pivot. I wonder if this came from her knowledge from home, her research in our science books and online with Jo, from her own vivid creative imagination or a combination of all three?

I'm sure we'll find out more as the experiments continue.
David