Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Yet Another Science Question!

Andrew did an experiment using yeast, sugar and boiling water in a plastic bottle. We placed a balloon on top of the bottle and the balloon was supposed to inflate after one hour, but it didn't and we are wondering why not? (Andrew did the experiment once before and it did inflate that time).



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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2011 at 2:27 PM

    I think what may have happened is that the Yeast cells were damaged or killed by the boiling water. When Yeast break down sugar they get Energy and release Carbon Dioxide. The Carbon Dioxide is what fills up the ballon. This happens faster if the water is warm but if the water was too warm it won't work.

    Try it again but let the water cool for longer before putting the yeast in!!

    Hope that helps.

    Shane

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  2. Mrs M WhiteFebruary 13, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    Thanks Shane! We thought that the boiling water may have been a bit too much.... But guess what? It came back to life a week later! Yes, the balloon finally inflated a full week after the original experiment. Now can anyone explain THAT?

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