water and yeast experiment

Inflate a Balloon with Yeast Experiment

Did you know that you can inflate a balloon WITHOUT blowing air into it? It’s true.

In this simple experiment , young scientists use yeast to magically inflate a balloon. How cool is that?!

Check out the simple step-by-step below and then snag our 30 Science Experiments that are kid-approved!

Getting Ready

We headed into the kitchen to grab all of our supplies for this science experiment:

• Clear plastic or glass bottle with a narrow neck (a water bottle or soda bottle work great)
• 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons lukewarm water
• Party balloon
• Bowl or mug full of lukewarm water

Inflating a balloon with yeast is a wonderful experiment to do with preschool and kindergarten aged children because all of the materials are nontoxic. It’s nice when the kids can help measure out ingredients without worrying about what they are touching.

My kids helped me measure the yeast, sugar, and warm water into a cup.

They stirred the ingredients and then used a funnel to pour the brown mixture into the bottle. We added a little bit more water to help the yeast mixture get through the neck of the funnel.

We quickly stretched a balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

After placing the bottle into a mug full of warm water, we sat back to observe.

Inflate a Balloon with Yeast

Almost immediately, we observed bubbles in the yeast mixture.

I explained to the kids that yeast is a microscopic fungus that converts sugar into carbon dioxide.

The bubbles they saw were tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas that the yeast was producing as it “ate” the sugar.

For yeast to be active, it needs to be warm and moist. That’s why we added lukewarm water and placed the bottle in more warm water.

We set our bottle of yeast on the table and watched it while we ate lunch and read books.

We checked in with our science experiment every 10 minutes or so to observe any changes. Every time we looked, we noticed that the balloon was getting bigger and bigger on top of the bottle! Why?

As the yeast continued to react, it converted more and more sugar into carbon dioxide gas.

This gas was trapped in the balloon, making it inflate as if by magic!

It took about an hour for our balloon to reach its maximum size.

The yeast bubbled up into the bottle quite a bit before it stopped reacting and shrank down again. Simple science at its best.

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Yeast and Sugar Science Fair Project

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In this Yeast and Sugar Science Fair Project, we’ll watch yeast feed on sugar to fill a balloon with air. A fun science project for kids that’s with household, everyday materials.

Our Inspiration

I’ve been baking bread just about every day for the past three weeks (nothing too crazy since it’s all done in the bread maker), but last week my 3.5 year old and I got into a discussion about the properties of yeast.

We like to tinker and  experiment — big surprise, I know — and decided to see what would happen if we mixed yeast with warm water.

My preschooler took this job very seriously, poured the water into a bowl, added a couple teaspoons of yeast, and waited a few patient minutes before she said, “it makes a brownish color.” True, and to make it bubble like it does in bread, we needed to activate it with sugar.

What’s so great about an experiment like this is that it’s easy to do with household materials, and it’s ripe for authentic child-generated questions and observations. When I asked what she thought would happen if we added sugar to the yeast she said, “I don’t know! Let’s mix them and find out!.”

Supplies: Yeast and Sugar Science Fair Project

• Sugar, 2 tablespoons
• Active Dry Yeast, 1 packet or 2 1/4 tablespoons
• Warm water (105-115 degrees F, 40.5-46 degrees C)
• Mixing bowl + funnel
• Bottle that you can fit a balloon over

Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm water and stir. I noticed that N was sniffing the concoction and asked her what it smelled like. She said “poop.” I could see what she was saying. Consider yourself warned.

Once it all dissolves, pour the mixture into the bottle and cover the bottle with the balloon.

After a few minutes you’ll be amazed by something like this!

Will it blow off the bottle?

N wanted to feel it as it filled with air. She noticed the balloon was getting bigger and wanted to know how big it would get, wondering out loud, “will it fill up all the way and blow off the bottle?”

Good question!

My handy-dandy ship captain sister (no joke — that’s her job!) was visiting, and put herself right to work as chief measurer.

Move it to a safe spot

Once the bottle filled up completely, we moved the whole yeast sugar experriment to the sink. The bubbles were slow-moving, and there was nothing to worry ourselves with, but N enjoyed pulling the balloon off and watching the foam slowly pour over the bottle’s top.

Ideas for Extending this Experiment

As we went through the process, I thought of a few fun extensions for older kids or those who want to take this further. You could play around with food coloring/liquid watercolors, have a few bottles going at once and compare the results of different sugar:yeast ratios, or compare the results of different water temperatures.

I found my recipe at The Exploratorium’s Science of Cooking series, where we also learned that as the yeast eats the sugar it makes carbon dioxide, which is essentially the same process that yeast goes through in our bread dough.

Mmmmm. I’m off to eat some whole wheat cranberry walnut oat bread. Toasted. With butter and Maldon salt. How do you like your bread? And have you played around with yeast concoctions?

More Science Experiments for Kids

If you enjoyed this project, you’ll love this article:  Science Fair Project Ideas .

What a great idea!!

Thanks, Deborah 🙂

thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for this info

I used to bake a lot of bread with my boys when they were younger (pre-celiac diagnosis) and they always loved my scientific explanation of why the bread rises: the yeast eats the sugar and farts. 🙂 That’s what all the bubbles are, of course!

Yep, farts would be another not-so-pretty way to describe this process. Between that and my daughter’s description, I’m not sure if anyone will want to try this themselves 😉

we love yeast! my son thinks of yeast as little pets. here is our experiment we did a few months ago. it seems to come up ever year or so. great post!

http://mamascouts.blogspot.com/2011/09/science-experimentwake-up-yeast.html

Thanks for sharing your yeast experiments, Amy! I love them, and we have to try this with maple syrup next time (if I can convince my MS-adoring family to part with it first!).

way cool! you know I like to tinker as well with my girls – this will be something we can easily do at home.

I pinned this! 🙂 thanks for sharing!

Thanks for pinning it, Bern 🙂 And yes, I can totally imagine your two little scientists going crazy over this one!

This is the best blog for experiments! Thanks for sharing all your great ideas.  Linking up to it in a science for preschoolers post. 

Hi Kristin, Thank you soooooo much for the kind words about Tinkerlab. And thanks for sharing us with your readers….feel free to send me a link if you’d like and I’ll share it on Facebook.

This is so fun! We did this today and the kids loved it. Thank you!

awesome, lindsie! i’m thrilled to hear it was successful. thanks for taking time to give me this update.

Hmmm…sugar, yeast and water…also known as Kilju or sugar wine! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilju

As well as CO2, yeast and sugar also produces Ethanol (alcohol). Probably best not to teach the kids that part though!

That’s funny, Chris. I’m sure that my 4-year old won’t be least bit interested in sugar wine!

Point taken. Out of interest, did you ever find out what made the “poop” smell? In theory it should just produce CO2 which doesn’t smell.

could i add flour to the mixture. would it have the same effect ?

it’s nice

moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

why soooooooo many o’s sara

What quantity of water did you use? I’m doing an adaptation of this for my science assignment

Miguel Cabrera

What were the measurements for each balloon

Thanks for this great post. We did this today while baking bread. My boys loved measuring the baloons often and seeing what would happen.

[…] is a safe activity for preschoolers and toddlers because you are using edible materials. Moreover, kids will see, touch, and smell while observing, […]

Thanks Nice Experiment

I don’t get it, it does not have a video!

[…] Blow Balloon With Yeast Experiment […]

Is this supposed to be 2 1/4 TEASPOONS or TABLESPOONS. Your instructions say one packet of yeast (which is 2/4 teaspoons) but you wrote 2 1/4 tablespoons. Thanks for any clarification you can provide

* my comment should read that one packet of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons

Comments are closed.

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Blow up a balloon with yeast, you will need.

A packet of yeast (available in the grocery store) A small, clean, clear, plastic soda bottle (16 oz. or smaller) 1 teaspoon of sugar Some warm water A small balloon

1. Fill the bottle up with about one inch of warm water. ( When yeast is cold or dry the micro organisms are resting.) 2. Add all of the yeast packet and gently swirl the bottle a few seconds. (As the yeast dissolves, it becomes active – it comes to life! Don’t bother looking for movement, yeast is a microscopic fungus organism.) 3. Add the sugar and swirl it around some more. Like people, yeast needs energy (food) to be active, so we will give it sugar. Now the yeast is “eating!”

4. Blow up the balloon a few times to stretch it out then place the neck of the balloon over the neck of the bottle. 5. Let the bottle sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes If all goes well the balloon will begin to inflate!

How does it work?

As the yeast eats the sugar, it releases a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas fills the bottle and then fills the balloon as more gas is created. We all know that there are “holes” in bread, but how are they made? The answer sounds a little like the plot of a horror movie. Most breads are made using YEAST. Believe it or not, yeast is actually living microorganisms! When bread is made, the yeast becomes spread out in flour. Each bit of yeast makes tiny gas bubbles and that puts millions of bubbles (holes) in our bread before it gets baked. Naturalist’s note – The yeast used in this experiment are the related species and strains of Saccharomyces cervisiae. (I’m sure you were wondering about that.) Anyway, when the bread gets baked in the oven, the yeast dies and leaves all those bubbles (holes) in the bread. Yum.

MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Does room temperature affect how much gas is created by the yeast? 2. Does the size of the container affect how much gas is created? 3. What water/room temperature helps the yeast create the most gas? 4. What “yeast food” helps the yeast create the most gas? (try sugar, syrup, honey, etc.)

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Grow yeast experiment

Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments:

You Will Need:

• 4 packets of dry yeast
• 4 water bottles, chilled in the fridge (we use Thank You Water, a social enterprise that works to get clean water & sanitation to people in need)
• 1 large jug.
• 4 measuring cups.
• 4 thermometers (one will do if you don’t have a class set).
• Access to boiling water plus adult supervision.
• 1 stopwatch.
• A pen to mark the water temperature on each water bottle during the experiment.
• A shelf to leave the science experiment to run.
• A notebook for your observations.

• Instruction

Pour out the 4 chilled water bottles into the large jug and discard the rest of the water (maybe water your  school garden !)

Carefully measure out the water into the four measuring cups as per the measurements below;

Cup 1 – 200mL of chilled water

Cup 2 – 150mL of chilled water

Cup 3 – 100mL of chilled water

Cup 4 – 50mL of chilled water

Use the thermometers to take a measurement of the water temperature in each cup (write this in your notebook).

With an adult, boil a jug of water and then top up cups 2, 3 and 4 so that they too have 200mL of water as per cup 1. You will be testing the effect of temperature on the growth of yeast by measuring how much gas is released by the yeast under 4 different temperature conditions ( variable testing ).

Using a funnel, carefully pour each cup of water into the four separate water bottles. Use the pen to mark the starting temperature of each water bottle.

Add a spoonful of sugar per water bottle and then swirl the bottle to dissolve the sugar.

Add a yeast packet into each bottle and quickly stretch a balloon of the opening of each bottle.

4 yeast growth experiments started, showing a distinct change already!

Start the stopwatch and take notes of when each balloon rises!

OPTIONAL: you could also keep each bottle in the yeast experiment at the same temperature and vary the amount of sugar added instead.

Go further – buy 4 x student activity sheets as extension worksheets.

This student science booklet has been created by experienced science educators from the Fizzics Education team.

Use these student worksheets as blackline masters for your science class!

See all student sheets here

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What is going on?

Your experiment was testing the effect of water temperature on the growth of yeast. Yeast are egg-shaped microscopic cells of fungi that are dormant whilst kept in dry and cool conditions. However, yeast will rapidly divide once exposed to water and sugar in ideal temperatures. In the right temperature, yeast cells will change the sugar into glucose by using the water plus as an enzyme catalyst (invertase). Once the yeast has converted the sugar to glucose fermentation can then occur to produce carbon dioxide and ethanol as per the equation below;

Glucose ⟶ Ethanol + Carbon dioxide

which can be written as…

C 6 H 12 O 6(aq)   ⟶ 2C 2 H 5 OH (aq)  + 2CO 2(g)

In your experiment, you were trapping the carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process. The more active the yeast, the more carbon dioxide the yeast produced! In your experiment, the different water temperatures will have produced different results as bottles may have been too hot for the yeast to survive whereas the other bottles may have been too cold.   By introducing a variable to test in your experiment, you’re doing real science!  The following list of temperatures is worth keeping in mind when assessing your results:

• 55° C – 60° C Yeast cells die (also known as the thermal death point).
• 41° C – 46° C Ideal temperature of water for dry yeast being reconstituted with water and sugar.
• 4° C The temperature of a fridge – yeast will be too cold to work properly.

Yeast is used to make bread rise and to ferment beer. There are many different species of yeast, but the one most commonly used in cooking and baking is called  Saccharomyces cerevisiae , which is also known as brewer’s yeast.

Yeast can break down many types of simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides) however they cannot break down complex carbohydrates such as starch. This means that extra enzymes are needed to break down starch into sugars that the yeast can use, for example during beer production we use enzymes from germinating barley to do this.

Variables to test

More on variables here

• Try different concentrations of vinegar as the growth medium. Can the yeast handle some acidity?
• Vary the amount of sugar used.
• Does the volume of water make a difference?

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4 thoughts on “ Grow yeast experiment ”

What is the amount of water you would like me to put?

Hi! Here’s the detail’s that you need;

> Cup 1 – 200mL of chilled water > Cup 2 – 150mL of chilled water > Cup 3 – 100mL of chilled water > Cup 4 – 50mL of chilled water

With an adult, boil a jug of water and then top up cups 2, 3 and 4 so that they too have 200mL of water as per cup 1. You will be testing the effect of temperature on the growth of yeast by measuring how much gas is released by the yeast under 4 different temperature conditions.

Would this experiment still work if instead i tested how different types of sugars affect the amount of fermentation by yeast. Would i still get different sized balloons in my result.

We’d love it if you try this and let us know! With any experiment you just have to change one thing and then measure the result. So, changing the types of sugars is a completely valid investigation. Good luck!

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Fermentation of glucose using yeast

• Four out of five

Carry out this practical and use the follow-up questions to explore an important fermentation reaction

Add some fresh context to this classic experiment with  Is fermented food and drink good for us?  in  Education in Chemistry . The article tucks into the science of fermentation and its everyday applications, from kombucha to kefir, and puts the supposed health benefits under the microscope. 

Beer and wine are produced by fermenting glucose with yeast. Yeast contains enzymes that catalyse the breakdown of glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide. In this experiment, learners will set up a glucose solution to ferment and then test the products. You may also demonstrate distilling the fermentation mixture to separate the ethanol formed or set this as a learner activity. 

Download this

Carry out the fermentation of glucose using yeast with 14–16 learners. Observe and test the products, follow up with questions to consolidate learning and/or the distillation of ethanol.

The experiment is part of the  Nuffield practical collection , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Delve into a wide range of chemical concepts and processes with this collection of over 200 step-by-step practicals.

Learning objectives

• Carry out and observe a fermentation reaction.
• Test the products of a fermentation reaction.
• Explain the conditions needed for a fermentation reaction.

The experiment allows learners to cover the first two learning objectives. Use the questions to test their results and observations. Questions 4–6 cover the third learning objective and ask learners to explain the conditions required. Use question 7 to see if learners can connect this experiment to rates of reaction. To stretch learners, expand this question and ask them to write a full plan. Find the answers in the Teacher notes . 

How to use this resource

Set learners the first part of the experiment. It usually yields results within a lesson if the water is at the correct temperature and the reaction mixture is well mixed to begin with. It also depends on the freshness of the yeast. Dried yeast does work. If fermentation is not rapid because of the yeast used, then carry the whole experiment over to the next lesson.

For an alternative practical arrangement to part 1, use a bung and delivery tube to bubble the carbon dioxide through limewater. Or watch the Identifying ions practical video from 08:20 to see how to use a pipette to collect the gas when testing for carbonate ions. 

In the second part of the experiment, you can demonstrate distilling the reaction mixture. Watch the Fractional distillation  and Simple distillation videos and download the accompanying resources for setup, method and more learner-facing activities on simple distillation.

If you demonstrate distillation, pool the class results and filter the groups’ solutions into your distillation flask. Significant quantities of yeast will produce foaming and you can carry this over into the product if you do not filter the reaction mixture. Collect the fraction between 77–82°C. Ethanol boils at 78°C. This fraction should burn easily compared with the non-flammable original solution. Pour the ethanol away immediately and do not keep or reuse it.

Alternatively, set the distillation practical as a learner activity. Individuals or pairs may not produce enough ethanol to complete the distillation so learners may need to combine their solutions and work in groups.

More resources

• Use our  organic chemistry worksheet on alcohols  with 14–16 learners for practice in applying knowledge in context, including burning alcohols in cooking and as fuels.
• Link your lessons on fermentation and bioethanol to UN sustainable development goal 8 while developing learners’ literacy skills with this resource on  E10 petrol and climate change .
• Learn how a circular approach to manufacturing at British Sugar means there is virtually zero waste, including how they create coproducts such as bioethanol, by watching Paul’s  video job profile .
• Download the classroom activity and display the  fractional distillation  poster in your classroom to help 14–16 learners understand this important separating technique.

Technician notes

Read our  Standard health and safety guidance  and carry out a risk assessment before running any live practical.

Ensure learners wear safety glasses.

Be aware that if the fermentation is fast, the mixture may overflow from the flask.

Equipment (per group)

• 100 cm 3  conical flask
• 50 cm 3  measuring cylinder
• Boiling tube
• Boiling tube rack
• Access to a mass balance, correct to 1 decimal place
• Cotton wool – enough to plug the conical flask
• Safety glasses

Chemicals (per group)

• Glucose, 5 g – not currently classed as hazardous. See CLEAPSS Hazcard HC040c for more information.
• Yeast (as fast acting as possible), 1 g

Wear eye protection and measure 5 g of calcium hydroxide.

Add, while stirring, to 300 cm 3 of water in a large beaker.

Continue to stir the suspension, then pour it into a clean, labelled 2.5 dm 3 screw-top bottle using a funnel.

Fill the bottle with distilled water and tightly close the lid. Invert it to mix.

Leave the bottle overnight to allow the suspension to settle.

When required, slowly pour the limewater into small, labelled bottles.

Add more distilled water and/or calcium hydroxide to the stock bottle as required.

• 50 cm 3  of warm water 30–40°C
• Put 5 g of glucose in the conical flask and add 50 cm 3 of warm water. Swirl the flask to dissolve the glucose.
• Add 1 g of yeast to the solution and loosely plug the top of the flask with cotton wool.
• Wait while fermentation takes place. The time it takes will depend on the temperature, how well you mixed the reactants and the yeast’s freshness.
• Add 5 cm 3 of limewater to the boiling tube. Avoid contact with your skin as limewater is an irritant.
• Remove the cotton wool and pour the invisible gas into the boiling tube containing limewater. Take care not to pour in any liquid as well.
• Gently swirl the limewater in the boiling tube and note what happens.
• Replace the cotton wool in the top of the flask.

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

Set up the equipment as shown or use a pipette or bung and delivery tube instead of cotton wool to bubble the carbon dioxide through limewater

• Remove the cotton wool and note the smell of the solution.

If you are going to observe the distillation then you, or your teacher, will:

• Filter all the groups’ solutions into a distillation flask.
• Distil the mixture and collect the distillation fraction between 77–82°C.

The distillation fraction should easily burn.

Fermentation of glucose using yeast student sheet

Fermentation of glucose using yeast teacher notes, additional information.

This is a resource from the  Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry. This collection of over 200 practical activities demonstrates a wide range of chemical concepts and processes. Each activity contains comprehensive information for teachers and technicians, including full technical notes and step-by-step procedures. Practical Chemistry activities accompany  Practical Physics  and  Practical Biology . Updated in 2024 with additional student questions by Neil Goalby.

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

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Specification

• Ethanol is produced industrially by fermentation of glucose. The conditions for this process.
• Ethanol produced industrially by fermentation is separated by fractional distillation and can then be used as a biofuel.
• AT.3 Use of appropriate apparatus and techniques for conducting and monitoring chemical reactions, including appropriate reagents and/or techniques for the measurement of pH in different situations.
• Aqueous solutions of ethanol are produced when sugar solutions are fermented using yeast. Students should know the conditions used for fermentation of sugar using yeast.
• AT4 Safe use of a range of equipment to purify and/or separate chemical mixtures including evaporation, filtration, crystallisation, chromatography and distillation.
• 9.33C Describe the production of ethanol by fermentation of carbohydrates in aqueous solution, using yeast to provide enzymes
• 9.34C Explain how to obtain a concentrated solution of ethanol by fractional distillation of the fermentation mixture
• 3 Use of appropriate apparatus and techniques for conducting and monitoring chemical reactions, including appropriate reagents and/or techniques for the measurement of pH in different situations
• Use of appropriate apparatus and techniques for conducting and monitoring chemical reactions, including appropriate reagents and/or techniques for the measurement of pH in different situations
• (s) how ethanol (an alcohol) is made from sugars by fermentation using yeast

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Yeast-Air Balloons

The purpose of any leavener is to produce the gas that makes bread rise. Yeast does this by feeding on the sugars in flour, and expelling carbon dioxide in the process.

While there are about 160 known species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as baker's yeast, is the one most often used in the kitchen. Yeast is tiny: Just one gram holds about 25 billion cells. That amount of fungi can churn out a significant amount of carbon dioxide, provided it has the simple sugars it uses as food. Fortunately, yeast can use its own enzymes to break down more complex sugars—like the granulated sugar in the activity below—into a form that it can consume.

Make a yeast-air balloon to get a better idea of what yeast can do.

Did You Know?

What do i need.

1 packet of active dry yeast

1 cup very warm water (105° F-115° F)

2 tablespoons sugar

a large rubber balloon

a small (1-pint to 1-liter) empty water bottle

Kids, please don t try this at home without the help of an adult.

What do I do

Stretch out the balloon by blowing it up repeatedly, and then lay it aside.

Add the packet of yeast and the sugar to the cup of warm water and stir.

Once the yeast and sugar have dissolved, pour the mixture into the bottle. You ll notice the water bubbling as the yeast produces carbon dioxide.

Attach the balloon to the mouth of the bottle, and set both aside.

Step 5: After several minutes, you ll notice the balloon standing upright. If you don t see anything happen, keep waiting. Eventually, the balloon will inflate.

What's going on.

As the yeast feeds on the sugar, it produces carbon dioxide. With no place to go but up, this gas slowly fills the balloon.

A very similar process happens as bread rises. Carbon dioxide from yeast fills thousands of balloonlike bubbles in the dough. Once the bread has baked, this is what gives the loaf its airy texture.

What Else Can I Try?

Try the same experiment, but this time use about a tablespoon of baking powder instead of yeast, and leave out the sugar. What differences do you notice? Which leavener takes longer to fill up the balloon?

Also, try the same experiment using hotter and colder water. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water. At what temperature is the yeast most active? At what temperatures is it unable to blow up the balloon?

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Yeast Balloon Experiment

Updated: Sep 29, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

Can you inflate a balloon with yeast? You sure can! Let's learn how with this simple and fun science experiment for kids.

Yeast Balloon Experiment - Step by Step

What did we learn, expand the experiment, more stem activities for kids.

When you think of yeast, you probably think of baking. But this little ingredient makes for some great science experiments as well!

This yeast balloon experiment is:

• A fun STEM activity for kids of all ages.
• Simple to do with ingredients you probably already have!
• Quick, easy and fun.

Start by filling a large mixing bowl with warm water. It only needs to be lukewarm - not very hot.

Next mix instant yeast, sugar, and warm water together in a glass bottle or flask with a narrow neck (like this Erlenmeyer Flask) . If you don't have one, you can use any bottle or container with a narrow neck. Even a disposable water bottle will work in a pinch. You need to be able to stretch the balloon over the opening!

Place the glass bottle into the bowl of warm water to keep it warm. Stretch the balloon over the opening of the bottle.

Sit back and watch what happens! You should see the balloon slowly begin to inflate. How long does it take for the balloon to inflate?

Yeast is a living organism! And it loves to eat sugar. As the yeast consumes the sugar in your mixture, it converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The balloon inflates from the carbon dioxide gas!

This is the same process that is at work when you bake bread or other baked goods with yeast. The yeast consumes sugar, and releases carbon dioxide, which causes your dough to rise. Cool, huh?

Try the experiment a few more times, with varying amounts of sugar and yeast. What combination inflates the balloon to the largest size? Why do you think that happens?

Try again using cold water instead of warm water. Does the balloon still inflate? Why or why not?

If you love this yeast balloon experiment, check out these other fun activities for kids:

• Microwave Ivory Soap - An Easy Experiment!
• STEM Activities for Elementary Kids
• Best Science Experiments for Kids

• 2 tbsp instant dried yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp warm water
• additional warm water
• large mixing bowl
• glass flask or bottle with a narrow neck

Instructions

Fill a large mixing bowl with warm water. Mix the instant yeast, sugar, and 2 tbsp warm water together in the glass bottle or flask. Place the glass bottle into the bowl of warm water to keep it warm. Stretch the balloon over the opening of the bottle. Wait and watch the balloon inflate!

The water should be warm enough to activate the yeast, but does not need to be very hot.

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The fermentation of sugars using yeast: A discovery experiment

Charles Pepin (student) and Charles Marzzacco (retired), Melbourne, FL

Introduction

Enzyme catalysis 1  is an important topic which is often neglected in introductory chemistry courses. In this paper, we present a simple experiment involving the yeast-catalyzed fermentation of sugars. The experiment is easy to carry out, does not require expensive equipment and is suitable for introductory chemistry courses.

The sugars used in this study are sucrose and lactose (disaccharides), and glucose, fructose and galactose (monosaccharides). Lactose, glucose and fructose were obtained from a health food store and the galactose from Carolina Science Supply Company. The sucrose was obtained at the grocery store as white sugar. The question that we wanted to answer was “Do all sugars undergo yeast fermentation at the same rate?”

Sugar fermentation results in the production of ethanol and carbon dioxide. In the case of sucrose, the fermentation reaction is:

\[C_{12}H_{22}O_{11}(aq)+H_2 O\overset{Yeast\:Enzymes}{\longrightarrow}4C_{2}H_{5}OH(aq) + 4CO_{2}(g)\]

Lactose is also C 12 H 22 O 11  but the atoms are arranged differently. Before the disaccharides sucrose and lactose can undergo fermentation, they have to be broken down into monosaccharides by the hydrolysis reaction shown below:

\[C_{12}H_{22}O_{11} + H_{2}O \longrightarrow 2C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}\]

The hydrolysis of sucrose results in the formation of glucose and fructose, while lactose produces glucose and galactose.

sucrose + water \(\longrightarrow\) glucose + fructose

lactose + water \(\longrightarrow\) glucose + galactose

The enzymes sucrase and lactase are capable of catalyzing the hydrolysis of sucrose and lactose, respectively.

The monosaccharides glucose, fructose and galactose all have the molecular formula C 6 H 12 O 6  and ferment as follows:

\[C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}(aq)\overset{Yeast Enzymes}{\longrightarrow}2C_{2}H_{5}OH(aq) + 2CO_{2}(g)\]

In our experiments 20.0 g of the sugar was dissolved in 100 mL of tap water. Next 7.0 g of Red Star ®  Quick-Rise Yeast was added to the solution and the mixture was microwaved for 15 seconds at full power in order to fully activate the yeast. (The microwave power is 1.65 kW.) This resulted in a temperature of about 110  o F (43  o C) which is in the recommended temperature range for activation. The cap was loosened to allow the carbon dioxide to escape. The mass of the reaction mixture was measured as a function of time. The reaction mixture was kept at ambient temperature, and no attempt at temperature control was used. Each package of Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast has a mass of 7.0 g so this amount was selected for convenience. Other brands of baker’s yeast could have been used.

This method of studying chemical reactions has been reported by Lugemwa and Duffy et al. 2,3  We used a balance good to 0.1 g to do the measurements. Although fermentation is an anaerobic process, it is not necessary to exclude oxygen to do these experiments. Lactose and galactose dissolve slowly. Mild heat using a microwave greatly speeds up the process. When using these sugars, allow the sugar solutions to cool to room temperature before adding the yeast and microwaving for an additional 15 seconds.

Fermentation rate of sucrose, lactose alone, and lactose with lactase

Fig. 1 shows plots of mass loss vs time for sucrose, lactose alone and lactose with a dietary supplement lactase tablet added 1.5 hours before starting the experiment. All samples had 20.0 g of the respective sugar and 7.0 g of Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast. Initially the mass loss was recorded every 30 minutes. We continued taking readings until the mass leveled off which was about 600 minutes. If one wanted to speed up the reaction, a larger amount of yeast could be used. The results show that while sucrose readily undergoes mass loss and thus fermentation, lactose does not. Clearly the enzymes in the yeast are unable to cause the lactose to ferment. However, when lactase is present significant fermentation occurs. Lactase causes lactose to split into glucose and galactose. A comparison of the sucrose fermentation curve with the lactose containing lactase curve shows that initially they both ferment at the same rate.

Fig. 1. Comparison of the mass of CO 2 released vs time for the fermentation of sucrose, lactose alone, and lactose with a lactase tablet. Each 20.0 g sample was dissolved in 100 mL of tap water and then 7.0 g of Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast was added.

However, when the reactions go to completion, the lactose, lactase and yeast mixture gives off only about half as much CO 2  as the sucrose and yeast mixture. This suggests that one of the two sugars that result when lactose undergoes hydrolysis does not undergo yeast fermentation. In order to verify this, we compared the rates of fermentation of glucose and galactose using yeast and found that in the presence of yeast glucose readily undergoes fermentation while no fermentation occurs in galactose.

Fig. 2. Comparison of the mass of CO 2 released vs time for the fermentation of sucrose, glucose and fructose. Each 20 g sugar sample was dissolved in 100 mL of water and then 7.0 g of yeast was added.

Fermentation rate of sucrose, glucose and fructose

Next we decided to compare the rate of fermentation of sucrose with that glucose and fructose, the two compounds that make up sucrose. We hypothesized that the disaccharide would ferment more slowly because it would first have to undergo hydrolysis. In fact, though, Fig. 2 shows that the three sugars give off CO 2  at about the same rate. Our hypothesis was wrong. Although there is some divergence of the three curves at longer times, the sucrose curve is always as high as or higher than the glucose and fructose curves. The observation that the total amount of CO 2  released at the end is not the same for the three sugars may be due to the purity of the fructose and glucose samples not being as high as that of the sucrose.

Fermentation rate and sugar concentration

Next, we decided to investigate how the rate of fermentation depends on the concentration of the sugar. Fig. 3 shows the yeast fermentation curves for 10.0 g and 20.0 g of glucose. It can be seen that the initial rate of CO 2  mass loss is the same for the 10.0 and 20.0 g samples. Of course the total amount of CO 2  given off by the 20.0 g sample is twice as much as that for the 10.0 g sample as is expected. Later, we repeated this experiment using sucrose in place of glucose and obtained the same result.

Fig. 3. Comparison of the mass of CO 2  released vs time for the fermentation of 20.0 g of glucose and 10.0 g of glucose. Each sugar sample was dissolved in 100 mL of water and then 7.0 g of yeast was added.

Fermentation rate and yeast concentration

After seeing that the rate of yeast fermentation does not depend on the concentration of sugar under the conditions of our experiments, we decided to see if it depends on the concentration of the yeast. We took two 20.0 g samples of glucose and added 7.0 g of yeast to one and 3.5 g to the other. The results are shown in Fig. 4. It can clearly be seen that the rate of CO 2  release does depend on the concentration of the yeast. The slope of the sample with 7.0 g of yeast is about twice as large as that with 3.5 g of yeast. We repeated the experiment with sucrose and fructose in place of glucose and obtained similar results.

Fig. 4. Comparison of the mass of CO 2 released vs time for the fermentation of two 20.0 g samples of glucose dissolved in 100 mL of water. One had 7.0 g of yeast and the other had 3.5 g of yeast.

In hindsight, the observation that the rate of fermentation is dependent on the concentration of yeast but independent of the concentration of sugar is not surprising. Enzyme saturation can be explained to students in very simple terms. A molecule such as glucose is rather small compared to a typical enzyme. Enzymes are proteins with large molar masses that are typically greater than 100,000 g/mol. 1  Clearly, there are many more glucose molecules in the reaction mixture than enzyme molecules. The large molecular ratio of sugar to enzyme clearly means that every enzyme site is occupied by a sugar molecule. Thus, doubling or halving the sugar concentration cannot make a significant difference in the initial rate of the reaction. On the other hand, doubling the concentration of the enzyme should double the rate of reaction since you are doubling the number of enzyme sites.

The experiments described here are easy to perform and require only a balance good to 0.1 g and a timer. The results of these experiments can be discussed at various levels of sophistication and are consistent with enzyme kinetics as described by the Michaelis-Menten model. 1  The experiments can be extended to look at the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction. For enzyme reactions such as this, the reaction does not take place if the temperature is too high because the enzymes get denatured. The effect of pH and salt concentration can also be investigated.

• Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko and Lubert Stryer,  Biochemistry , 6th edition, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2007, pages 205-237.
• Fugentius Lugemwa, Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide,  Chemical Educator , April 2013, pages 85-87.
• Daniel Q. Duffy, Stephanie A. Shaw, William D. Bare, Kenneth A. Goldsby, More Chemistry in a Soda Bottle, A Conservation of Mass Activity,  Journal of Chemical Education , August 1995, pages 734-736.
• Jessica L Epstein, Matthew Vieira, Binod Aryal, Nicolas Vera and Melissa Solis, Developing Biofuel in the Teaching Laboratory: Ethanol from Various Sources,  Journal of Chemical Education , April 2010, pages 708–710.

More about April 2015

Department of Chemistry 200 University Ave. W Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

[email protected]

Amazingly Cool Classic Science | Yeast Science Experiment

Every kid should do at least several classic science experiments before they get too old to enjoy them. On the list today was the classic yeast science experiment. We decided to find out what type of sugar helped yeast grow best, or if sugar helps at all.

* This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure.

We are on a small kick to explore foods that we eat at a Thanksgiving Feast and of course, bread is a very popular item. When the kids saw the dough rising in the bowl, they immediately had questions that they wanted answers to. That’s when I thought this would be the perfect way to explain the way yeast works.

Classic Yeast Science Experiment

What you’ll need for the yeast science experiment:.

• 3 types of sugar (we used brown sugar, white sugar, and honey)

I set everything up in advance of this project so the kids could jump right in. I measured 2 teaspoons of each type of sugar into four mini containers (we used film canisters) and laid everything out on the table for the kids to use.

The kids poured half a packet of yeast into each bottle, then added two teaspoons of warm water.

The kids next added one type of sugar to three bottles, but nothing to the last bottle. We labeled each bottle to keep track of what sugar was wear.

A little shake mixed up the bottles and we could already see the yeast starting to grow!

The kids screwed the caps back on the bottles and taped a water balloon to the top of each bottle spout (we had blown them up previously to stretch them out and make them easier to expand).

We set the bottles of yeast aside for 30 minutes, then came back to check our results.

Although it looked like the brown sugar activated the yeast the fastest, over the 30-minute period the white sugar outpaced it. The honey eventually blew up the balloon, but it took about an hour. The nothing jar never had enough air to blow up its balloon.

We were curious, so we put our yeast bottles into the bathtub and left it for several hours. That night, we looked at our bottles again. The white sugar bottle had enough pressure to pop the balloon off the top. The honey and brown sugar bottles had balloons almost completely filled with yeast. The no-sugar bottle was still sad and deflated.

The kids determined that if we wanted to make fluffy bread, we definitely should feed our yeast white sugar.

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Biology Experiments on the Fermentation of Yeast

What Are Some Common Uses of Yeast?

Yeast is a fungal microorganism that man has usedsince before he had a written word. Even to this day, it remains a common component of modern beer and bread manufacture. Because it is a simple organism capable of rapid reproduction and even faster metabolism, yeast is an ideal candidate for simple biology science experiments that involve the study of fermentation.

What is Fermentation?

Fermentation is the biological process by which yeast consumes simple sugars and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide. For the most part, fermentation requires a mostly aquatic environment to occur. Different yeasts respond differently to changes in environment, making some better for baking and others for brewing. Bakers use fermentation to add CO2 bubbles to bread dough. During baking, these bubbles make the bread light and fluffy while the alcohol boils away. Brewers take care to preserve the alcohol of fermentation and use the CO2 to help build a frothy head for their potent beverages.

Indirect Life Test Experiments

The first experiment that should come to mind when examining yeast is determining whether or not yeast is a living organism. While it would be easy to rely on foreknowledge about the nature of yeast, more is learned by application of scientific method. If yeast is alive, it should consume food, respire and reproduce. Indirect tests look for clues that these processes are taking place. For such experiments, you should measure the amount of CO2 released by yeast that are digesting sugar water in test tubes with balloons attached. Use Benedict's solution to test for the presence of sugar in the final product.

Salinity Experiments

Fermentation is a delicate process that relies on ideal conditions to occur. Experiments that study how it responds to salinity are of particular interest to science and industry alike. Your project can either take a single type of yeast and vary the amount of salt in the solution to see if there is an ideal salinity, or alternately, use various yeasts to see how they respond to the same level of salt. In the latter experiment, make sure to use yeasts from many industries, since most baker's yeasts fare poorly in saline conditions.

Sugar Experiments

While it's clear that yeast requires sugar for fermentation, there are many different sugars that yeast could use for fuel. You can perform a number of experiments to determine which ones promote the highest level of yeast growth. In one, you can add yeast to various beverages, such as fruit juices and non-carbonated sports drinks to see which environment produces the most CO2. Another can use various sweeteners such as granulated sugars, syrups and nectars (such as agave) placed in weak solutions. You can measure CO2 production with balloons placed over the reacting test tubes, or simply observe the bubbles produced and make a relative comparison.

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• The Science of Cooking: Yeast Air Balloons

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Andy Klaus started his writing career contributing science and fiction articles to Dickinson High School's newsletters back in 1984. Since then, he has authored novels and written technical books for health-care companies such as VersaSuite. He has covered topics varying from aerospace to zoology and received an associate degree in science from College of the Mainland.

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Science project, growing yeast: sugar fermentation.

Yeast is most commonly used in the kitchen to make dough rise. Have you ever watched pizza crust or a loaf of bread swell in the oven? Yeast makes the dough expand. But what is yeast exactly and how does it work? Yeast strains are actually made up of living eukaryotic microbes, meaning that they contain cells with nuclei. Being classified as fungi (the same kingdom as mushrooms), yeast is more closely related to you than plants! In this experiment we will be watching yeast come to life as it breaks down sugar, also known as sucrose , through a process called fermentation . Let’s explore how this happens and why!

What is sugar’s effect on yeast?

• 3 Clear glass cups
• 2 Teaspoons sugar
• Water (warm and cold)
• 3 Small dishes
• Permanent marker

• Fill all three dishes with about 2 inches of cold water
• Place your clear glasses in each dish and label them 1, 2, and 3.
• In glass 1, mix one teaspoon of yeast, ¼ cup of warm water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar.
• In glass 2, mix one teaspoon of yeast with ¼ cup of warm water.
• In glass 3, place one teaspoon of yeast in the glass.
• Observe each cups reaction. Why do you think the reactions in each glass differed from one another? Try using more of your senses to evaluate your three glasses; sight, touch, hearing and smell especially!

The warm water and sugar in glass 1 caused foaming due to fermentation. 

Fermentation is a chemical process of breaking down a particular substance by bacteria, microorganisms, or in this case, yeast. The yeast in glass 1 was activated by adding warm water and sugar. The foaming results from the yeast eating the sucrose. Did glass 1 smell different? Typically, the sugar fermentation process gives off heat and/or gas as a waste product. In this experiment glass 1 gave off carbon dioxide as its waste.

Yeast microbes react different in varying environments. Had you tried to mix yeast with sugar and cold water, you would not have had the same results. The environment matters, and if the water were too hot, it would kill the yeast microorganisms. The yeast alone does not react until sugar and warm water are added and mixed to create the fermentation process. To further investigate how carbon dioxide works in this process, you can mix yeast, warm water and sugar in a bottle while attaching a balloon to the open mouth. The balloon will expand as the gas from the yeast fermentation rises.

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Blowing Up Balloons Respiration Style

June 18, 2012 By Emma Vanstone 5 Comments

We’ve talked about respiration before when we made bread and used yeast to make the dough rise. Blowing up a balloon with yeast is another very easy experiment to demonstrate respiration in action and is quicker than making bread if you are short of time.

What is respiration?

Respiration is a chemical reaction which occurs in animal and plant cells. It releases energy from glucose. Aerobic respiration needs oxygen, but anaerobic respiration doesn’t need oxygen.

Anaerobic respiration produces less energy than aerobic respiration. It occurs in humans when not enough oxygen reaches muscle cells ( for example, during hard exercise ). Bacteria and other microorganisms can also use anaerobic respiration, and yeast actually carry out an anaerobic process called fermentation .

Respiration occurs in the mitochondria of cells. You can find out more about mitochondria by making a model of a cell .

Blow up a balloon with yeast

A small clear drinks bottle

A packet of dried yeast

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 1 teaspoon of sugar.

4. Place the balloon over the open top so no air can escape.

5 Over the next half an hour, watch what happens. (Obviously, do other stuff and come back, it may be a little boring to actually watch it for half an hour!)

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 (its food), it ‘wakens’ and becomes active. The yeast uses the sugar (glucose) and oxygen from the bottle to make water, energy and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas, and this is what you see filling the balloon.

Remember, yeast can respire anaerobically when there’s not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration.

Fermentation

Glucose -> ethanol and carbon dioxide + energy

Aerobic Respiration Equation

Glucose + Oxygen –> Carbon Dioxide + Water + energy

The image is taken from Snackable Science which contains SEVENTY fun edible experiments and investigations!

Science concepts

Respiration

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Last Updated on May 3, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

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Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

June 18, 2012 at 3:04 pm

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!

June 18, 2012 at 6:32 pm

What a cool project! Do the balloons float, then, like helium?

June 21, 2012 at 3:21 am

That’s so cool! We love everything science! My kids will love this!

June 25, 2012 at 8:14 pm

Brilliant experiment!!!! The kids will love it!

Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!

Maggy & Alissa

March 31, 2013 at 9:18 am

all the experiments simple and kids could easily understand the concepts behind it.

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Inflate a Balloon with Yeast Fermentation Experiment: Lab Explained

• Inflate a Balloon with Yeast…

INTRODUCTION

Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms that belong to the fungal kingdom. When yeasts consume sugar and convert it to energy, they emit carbon dioxide, this is referred to as fermentation. The yeast will be more active and develop faster if there is more sugar present. While sugar and other sweets provide “food” for yeast, too much sugar can harm it by draining moisture from it and preventing it from growing. Too much sugar also delays the development of gluten. Increase the amount of yeast in the recipe or find a comparable recipe with less sugar.

Sweet yeast doughs will rise more slowly. Fermentation is sped up by a small amount of sugar, up to 3%. Warm water makes yeast grow, cold water has the reverse effect, and hot water kills yeast. Temperatures ranging from 0 to 47 degrees Celsius are suitable for yeast growth. Yeasts flourish in acidic settings with pH levels between 4.0 and 4.5. They can grow in lower pH environments than other bacteria, but not in alkaline environments. Yeasts are common in nature and can be found on grapes and other fruits. All yeast need food, moisture, and a controlled temperature environment in order to ferment. Its byproducts from food consumption include carbon dioxide, alcohol, and other organic molecules.

comparing yeast growth at various sugar concentrations.

• 50ml of water
• Two balloons

(funnel may be needed to safely transfer the ingredients into the water bottles)

• A kettle was used to boil the water, then cold water was added to the boiling water to get lukewarm water.
• 50ml of lukewarm water was added to each bottle.
• ¼ teaspoon of table sugar was then added to the first water bottle, then ½ teaspoon of table sugar was added to the other water bottle.
• ½ teaspoon of rapid-rise yeast was then added to each solution and mixed.
• After mixing, a balloon was placed on each water bottle/ tube and sealed securely.
• The contents were mixed periodically.

(N.B- A string may be used to seal the balloon placed on water bottles).

OBSERVATIONS

During the experiment, 500ml water bottles were used. Then 50ml of lukewarm water was added to each bottle, after that, ½ teaspoon of sugar was added to the 1 st bottle then ¼ teaspoon of sugar was added to the 2 nd bottle. Finally, ½ teaspoon of rapid-rise yeast was added to both bottles, then the balloons were placed on each tube and securely sealed. The balloons were checked at the time interval of 15min to observe any changes, when glancing at the balloons, it was noticed that the balloons were getting bigger and bigger every time on top of the water bottles. Warmth and moisture are necessary for yeast to function, that is why lukewarm water was added. Sugar was converted to carbon dioxide by yeast.

Some bubbles were also observed in the yeast mixture during the experiment, it was the small carbon dioxide gas bubbles produced by the yeast as it “ate” the sugar.

As the yeast continued to react, additional sugar was transformed into carbon dioxide gas. The balloons were filled with this gas, which caused them to inflate. It was also observed that the balloon on the water bottle that had ½ teaspoon of sugar was growing bigger at a faster rate than the one that had ¼ teaspoon of sugar.

This can show that glucose concentration increases fermentation production in yeast. The more sugar present, the more active the yeast becomes, and the faster it grows. The balloon on the bottle that had less sugar was growing at a slow rate compared to the other one, even had fewer bubbles visible. It was seen that the concentration of sugar plays a vital role in the rate of fermentation, the more sugar present, the more active the yeast becomes, and the faster it grows. This also showed why the fermentation rates of the sugars differ over time. Both balloons grew until they reached a point where they grew no more.

During the experiment, when the balloons were growing bigger and bigger, using the time interval of 15 minutes, the circumferences of the balloons were measured. From the measurements, it can be safely concluded that the balloon on the water bottle with ½ teaspoon of sugar grew bigger and faster than the one on the water bottle with ¼ teaspoon of sugar. Another thing observed is that as time went by the fermentation rate of both the balloons started to decrease.

From what was observed during the practice of the experiment, it can be concluded that the more sugar there is, the more active the yeast will be and the faster its growth. THIS CAN BE APPLIED IN REAL LIFE: fermentation can be used to preserve food, preventing rotting or harmful microorganisms from growing in the food. Can also apply when baking bread.

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Yeast Balloon Experiment

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Check out this super cool experiment that uses the expanding power of yeast to inflate a balloon! You and your kids will love doing this Yeast Balloon Experiment together.

Get more amazing Balloon Science Experiments here!

This is a mind-blowing (and balloon blowing) way to learn about the common reaction of yeast, sugar, and water!

Table of Contents

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Supplies Needed:

• A Plastic Bottle

How to Inflate a Balloon With Yeast

• Fill a plastic bottle with about 1 inch of warm water.
• Pour in about 1 tablespoon of yeast and gently shake the bottle up a little bit.
• Add a teaspoon of sugar and swirl the bottle around a little more.
• Slide the neck of the balloon over the opening of the bottle.
• Let the yeast work its magic for about 15-20 minutes. The balloon should slowly start to inflate!

Step 1: Pour Warm Water Into a Plastic Bottle

I prefer to use a clear plastic bottle for this so that you can see the reaction of the rising yeast inside, but you really can use any type of small empty water bottle for this.

The important part is to pour enough warm water into the bottle so that that the water is about an inch deep inside the bottle.

If you bake with yeast often, then you will already know that the water needs to be warm, but not too warm or it will kill the yeast (I had to learn this from my wife who does the baking in our family).

Step 2: Add Some Yeast Into The Bottle

If you have the small little packets of yeast, you can dump one of those into the bottle, or you can measure and pour about 1 tablespoon of yeast from a large packet of yeast.

Using a funnel will make this a little easier and a little less messy to get the yeast inside the bottle.

Step 3: Add Some Sugar

Measure and pour about 1 teaspoon of sugar into your bottle of yeast and warm water. Again, using a funnel will help you get less sugar on the counter and more sugar into the bottle.

Step 4: Attach The Balloon to The Bottle

Quickly, but carefully connect a large balloon to the opening of the bottle. It may help to inflate and then deflate the balloon first just to stretch it out a little bit.

Then slide the mouth of the balloon over the opening of the bottle. Make sure the balloon is snug and sealed onto the bottle to prevent any air from escaping between the bottle and the balloon.

Give the bottle a little swirl or shake to mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar together. This should start the classic yeast reaction that we need for this experiment!

Step 5: Wait Patiently For The Reaction to Inflate The Balloon

The hardest part of this experiment is waiting 15-20 minutes for the reaction to happen and inflate the balloon…but I promise it will be worth it!

So set the balloon and bottle in a safe and secure place, go grab a snack and come back in a few minutes to check on it.

You can also try doing what I did and setting up your phone or camera for a time-lapse video of the reaction. It’s super fun to go back and watch the reaction inflate the balloon with the time-lapse.

After a good 15 or 20 minutes, the yeast, water and sugar should have reacted and expanded inside the bottle, and the balloon will inflated too!

Yeast Balloon Experiment Conclusion

The science behind this yeast balloon experiment is related to the same reason yeast is used in many bread, dough, and baking recipes!

Yeast is a single-celled organism described as a “sugar-eating fungus”. Yeast needs food, warmth, and moisture to thrive and grow.

As the yeast grows and converts the sugar into energy, it releases Carbon Dioxide gas in a process called fermentation .

The tiny little carbon dioxide (CO2) gas bubbles get trapped in bread dough as it bakes and is what makes bread so soft and spongy!

Now in our experiment, the warm water in the bottle provides warmth and moisture for the yeast, while the sugar provides the food for the yeast to grow and expand.

The addition of carbon dioxide in the bottle increases the air pressure in the bottle, which pushes air into the balloon and inflates it!

This Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon Experiment is also another fun way to inflate a balloon if can’t find any yeast in your kitchen cabinets!

PIN THIS EXPERIMENT FOR LATER

More Fun Experiments For Kids:

• Dancing Grapes Experiment
• How to Make a Bottle Gun
• Cloud in a Bottle Experiment With Rubbing Alcohol

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Yeast Science Experiment for Kids

Make homemade bread and bake in a science lesson..

Introduce your child to the amazing power of yeast!

Mix a packet of active yeast with ¼ cup of warm water and a tsp of sugar in a bowl. After 10 minutes, your child will see the mixture foaming--a sign that the microbes are feeding and producing carbon dioxide. Talk about the role those CO2 bubbles play in making dough rise!

What happens when you leave out the sugar? (Hint: organisms like yeast need to eat sweet stuff to multiply.) After you’ve baked your bread, see if your kiddo can spot the connection between the foaming yeast and the air pockets in a slice. (Then butter it, and snack!)

Break Bread

Find a no-knead bread recipe at  Simply-edible.com . Source: Dorothy Munn, educator, Michigan State University Extension youth program

Plus: Easy (and Mess-Free!) Science Experiments 5 Creative Science Experiment Crafts for Kids

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50 Fun Kids Science Experiments

Science doesn’t need to be complicated. These easy science experiments below are awesome for kids! They are visually stimulating, hands-on, and sensory-rich, making them fun to do and perfect for teaching simple science concepts at home or in the classroom.

Top 10 Science Experiments

Click on the titles below for the full supplies list and easy step-by-step instructions. Have fun trying these experiments at home or in the classroom, or even use them for your next science fair project!

Baking Soda Balloon Experiment

Can you make a balloon inflate on its own? Grab a few basic kitchen ingredients and test them out! Try amazing chemistry for kids at your fingertips.

Rainbow In A Jar

Enjoy learning about the basics of color mixing up to the density of liquids with this simple water density experiment . There are even more ways to explore rainbows here with walking water, prisms, and more.

This color-changing magic milk experiment will explode your dish with color. Add dish soap and food coloring to milk for cool chemistry!

Seed Germination Experiment

Not all kids’ science experiments involve chemical reactions. Watch how a seed grows , which provides a window into the amazing field of biology .

Egg Vinegar Experiment

One of our favorite science experiments is a naked egg or rubber egg experiment . Can you make your egg bounce? What happened to the shell?

Dancing Corn

Find out how to make corn dance with this easy experiment. Also, check out our dancing raisins and dancing cranberries.

Grow Crystals

Growing borax crystals is easy and a great way to learn about solutions. You could also grow sugar crystals , eggshell geodes , or salt crystals .

Lava Lamp Experiment

It is great for learning about what happens when you mix oil and water. a homemade lava lamp is a cool science experiment kids will want to do repeatedly!

Skittles Experiment

Who doesn’t like doing science with candy? Try this classic Skittles science experiment and explore why the colors don’t mix when added to water.

Lemon Volcano

Watch your kids’ faces light up, and their eyes widen when you test out cool chemistry with a lemon volcano using common household items, baking soda, and vinegar.

Bonus! Popsicle Stick Catapult

Kid tested, STEM approved! Making a popsicle stick catapult is a fantastic way to dive into hands-on physics and engineering.

Grab the handy Top 10 Science Experiments list here!

Free Science Ideas Guide

Grab this free science experiments challenge calendar and have fun with science right away. Use the clickable links to see how to set up each science project.

Get Started With A Science Fair Project

💡Want to turn one of these fun and easy science experiments into a science fair project? Then, you will want to check out these helpful resources.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

50 Easy Science Experiments For Kids

Kids’ Science Experiments By Topic

Are you looking for a specific topic? Check out these additional resources below. Each topic includes easy-to-understand information, everyday examples, and additional hands-on activities and experiments.

• Chemistry Experiments
• Physics Experiments
• Chemical Reaction Experiments
• Candy Experiments
• Plant Experiments
• Kitchen Science
• Water Experiments
• Baking Soda Experiments
• States Of Matter Experiments
• Physical Change Experiments
• Chemical Change Experiments
• Surface Tension Experiments
• Capillary Action Experiments
• Weather Science Projects
• Geology Science Projects
• Space Activities
• Simple Machines
• Static Electricity
• Potential and Kinetic Energy
• Gravity Experiments

Science Experiments By Season

• Spring Science
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Science Experiments by Age Group

While many experiments can be performed by various age groups, the best science experiments for specific age groups are listed below.

• Science Activities For Toddlers
• Preschool Science Experiments
• Kindergarten Science Experiments
• First Grade Science Projects
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• Science Projects For 3rd Graders
• Science Experiments For Middle Schoolers

How To Teach Science

Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to discover why things do what they do, move as they move, or change as they change! My son is now 13, and we started with simple science activities around three years of age with simple baking soda science.

Here are great tips for making science experiments enjoyable at home or in the classroom.

Safety first: Always prioritize safety. Use kid-friendly materials, supervise the experiments, and handle potentially hazardous substances yourself.

Start with simple experiments: Begin with basic experiments (find tons below) that require minimal setup and materials, gradually increasing complexity as kids gain confidence.

Use everyday items: Utilize common household items like vinegar and baking soda , food coloring, or balloons to make the experiments accessible and cost-effective.

Hands-on approach: Encourage kids to actively participate in the experiments rather than just observing. Let them touch, mix, and check out reactions up close.

Make predictions: Ask kids to predict the outcome before starting an experiment. This stimulates critical thinking and introduces the concept of hypothesis and the scientific method.

Record observations: Have a science journal or notebook where kids can record their observations, draw pictures, and write down their thoughts. Learn more about observing in science. We also have many printable science worksheets .

Theme-based experiments: Organize experiments around a theme, such as water , air , magnets , or plants . Even holidays and seasons make fun themes!

Kitchen science : Perform experiments in the kitchen, such as making ice cream using salt and ice or learning about density by layering different liquids.

Create a science lab: Set up a dedicated space for science experiments, and let kids decorate it with science-themed posters and drawings.

Outdoor experiments: Take some experiments outside to explore nature, study bugs, or learn about plants and soil.

DIY science kits: Prepare science experiment kits with labeled containers and ingredients, making it easy for kids to conduct experiments independently. Check out our DIY science list and STEM kits.

Make it a group effort: Group experiments can be more fun, allowing kids to learn together and share their excitement. Most of our science activities are classroom friendly!

Science shows or documentaries: Watch age-appropriate science shows or documentaries to introduce kids to scientific concepts entertainingly. Hello Bill Nye and the Magic Schoolbus! You can also check out National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, and NASA!

Ask open-ended questions: Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended questions that prompt kids to think deeper about what they are experiencing.

Celebrate successes: Praise kids for their efforts and discoveries, no matter how small, to foster a positive attitude towards science and learning.

What is the Scientific Method for Kids?

The scientific method is a way scientists figure out how things work. First, they ask a question about something they want to know. Then, they research to learn what’s already known about it. After that, they make a prediction called a hypothesis.

Next comes the fun part – they test their hypothesis by doing experiments. They carefully observe what happens during the experiments and write down all the details. Learn more about variables in experiments here.

Once they finish their experiments, they look at the results and decide if their hypothesis is right or wrong. If it’s wrong, they devise a new hypothesis and try again. If it’s right, they share their findings with others. That’s how scientists learn new things and make our world better!

Go ahead and introduce the scientific method and get kids started recording their observations and making conclusions. Read more about the scientific method for kids .

Engineering and STEM Projects For Kids

STEM activities include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition to our kids’ science experiments, we have lots of fun STEM activities for you to try. Check out these STEM ideas below.

• Building Activities
• Self-Propelling Car Projects
• Engineering Projects For Kids
• What Is Engineering For Kids?
• Lego STEM Ideas
• LEGO Engineering Activities
• STEM Activities For Toddlers
• STEM Worksheets
• Easy STEM Activities For Elementary
• Quick STEM Challenges
• Easy STEM Activities With Paper  

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Yeast delivers environmentally safe insecticide to combat mosquitoes

As summer approaches and temperatures rise, it is hard to ignore the increasing number of ticks and mosquitoes in communities around the world. And because they can spread infectious diseases — including Zika, dengue and malaria — they pose a significant threat to global health.

To limit the spread of these dangerous diseases, Indiana University South Bend researcher Molly Scheel has developed a genetically based RNA interference insecticide. RNAi is a cellular mechanism that “turns off” a gene using its own DNA. Working with the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office , Scheel is filing patents to protect her research and collaborating with industry partners to get her discovery to market, allowing her important work to potentially be used across the globe to reduce the spread of disease.

With recent outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa, controlling mosquitoes is the main defense for disease control. According to the World Health Organization, malaria alone claims half a million lives annually. By April, the number of dengue cases reported this year already surpassed the annual high of 4.6 million, which was set in 2023.

“With the current inadequate insecticides and increasing insecticide resistance, these outbreaks will continue to spread rapidly, and the death toll will escalate at an alarming rate,” said Scheel, the Navari Family Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at the IU School of Medicine-South Bend. “There is a critical need to develop insecticides that are effective in combating mosquito-borne diseases, yet safe for the environment.”

Scheel has studied mosquito development since 2007 and began working with RNAi technology in 2009. Her team sequenced genomes of mosquitoes and selected genes known to be required for survival in other insects. Essentially, they were able to “turn off” the genes required for a mosquito to mature into a reproducing adult that can spread disease-causing pathogens.

To deliver the insecticide, Scheel’s team chose to use an environmentally friendly method: yeast.

“We decided to take a different approach in creating an effective and environmentally safe insecticide that not only solves resistance issues but also solves the problems that pesticides pose on the environment,” Scheel said. “Pesticides use harmful chemicals that contaminate soil, water and crops, and they are often toxic to non-target organisms. Through the use of yeast that makes species-specific interfering RNA, our insecticide mitigates environmental impact. We can also heat-kill the yeast before it is applied, so we aren’t releasing live yeast into the environment.”

Yeast is an attractive food source for mosquitoes, so the team discovered that adding yeast to water will kill juvenile mosquitoes before they are able to mature. The yeast can also be mixed with sugar baits to attract and kill adult mosquitoes upon consumption.

Scheel and her team have collaborated with international teams in the field in Trinidad, Tobago and Thailand since 2016 to successfully demonstrate, per World Health Organization guidelines, significant larvicide activity in treated water containers with respect to untreated control containers.

By working with industry partners to commercialize this technology, Scheel hopes to use these insecticides for disease prevention on a global scale. Considering that yeast is economically feasible and has the ability to be packed and shipped in shelf-stable forms, this new generation of insecticides can be used in countries that have significant mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.

While mosquitoes may be the primary focus of Scheel’s team, they aren’t the only insects this methodology can control. They have discovered that insecticides delivered through yeast work well in protecting against a number of species, including ants.

Scheel and IU South Bend’s Keshava Mysore are targeting the nervous system genes in ants to create a genetically modified RNAi insecticide that will kill the ants when lured to the insecticidal sugar bait.

“Ants are often at the root of numerous problems,” said Mysore, an assistant research professor of medical and molecular genetics at the IU School of Medicine-South Bend. “They can cause significant property damage to wood and other building materials, harm crops, contaminate stored food, and inflict painful and sometimes life-threatening stings.”

Scheel hopes to secure funding to investigate more species of pest ants, including fire ants. She is also seeking commercial partners to further develop and commercialize the technology.

Brianna Heron

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