Science Experiment for Kids: Exploding Sandwich Bag
August 1, 2013 in All Posts, Kindergarten, Kindergarten Science, Play, Popular, Preschool, Preschool Science
I took my own advice this summer and tried this classic messy outdoor science experiment for kids last month: the Exploding Sandwich Bag.
This experiment is your basic baking soda and vinegar reaction experiment, but the anticipation of the explosion, the big pop, and the overflowing fizzy solution made this one a favorite with the kids.
All you need is a few items from your pantry and a pair of quick hands. Also, it’s very messy - and stinky! - so do this in the tub or sink, or better yet outside.
This experiment can be tricky, but I’m sharing our version of this classic which will guarantee a big POP and an actual explosion. Although our measurements started off based on these instructions and this experiment, and I scanned some of my favorite blogs for a good recipe, none of them worked for us. I suspect it may be because I used a quart-sized plastic bag instead of the standard size sandwich bag and because we couldn’t work fast enough to get the bag sealed tight.
Baking Soda & Vinegar Exploding Sandwich Bag Experiment
Materials
- baking soda
- vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar because it was what was on hand)
- warm water
- plastic bag (we used a quart-sized Ziploc bag)
- piece of paper or paper towel (we used a small rectangular flyer from our recycling bin)
- 1/3 or 1/4 measuring cup
Instructions
First, heat your water. While you’re waiting for the water to warm up, gather your measuring cup(s) and other supplies.
Second, fill the plastic bag with 1/3 cup water. Then add 1/3 cup vinegar.
Third, set the bag aside, with the top zipped tight except for a small opening on one end to fit your paper tube.
Fourth, roll your paper into a flattened tube and measure 1/4 cup baking soda into the tube.
Fifth, fill the sandwich bag with baking soda by sticking one end of the paper tub into the opening you left in the bag.
Sixth, work QUICKLY to seal the rest of the bag and QUICKLY move away to wait for a pop and explosion!
Note: The traditional proportions are 1/4 cup warm water; 1/2 cup vinegar; 1.5 - 3 tsp baking soda. Go ahead and try this first and see if you can get a good explosion. Our measurements are designed for the biggest bang! (It was a little disappointing for my preschooler and kindergartener to do the experiment over and over again without any noticeable result).
Experiment Prompts
Before conducting the experiment:
- What do you think will happen when we mix the water with the vinegar?
- What do you think will happen when we add the baking soda?
- What do you think will happen to the plastic bag?
After the experiment concludes:
- Why did the bag explode?
- What is an acid?
- What is a base?
- What is a gas?
- Could we make an explosion by mixing the baking soda and vinegar in the open air?
- What would happen if we mixed the ingredients and left the bag open?
We also had a lot of sensory play fun with the big mess we left on the patio after our explosions!
Have you tried this experiment before? What was the best proportion of water to vinegar to baking soda and what size bag did you use? Any other tips?
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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.
I’ve wanted to try this activity for the longest time, and I’m not really sure why we haven’t done it yet?? Thanks for all the helpful tips. I guess it could be interesting to set up a series of plastic baggies of different sizes and test for different results….if my fingers could work fast enough to get the bags sealed quickly.
That was the toughest part, Rachelle - trying to seal the bag up so quickly! That’s part of the reason we resorted to such large amounts of the ingredients. But you still have to work superfast. I bet this would totally work well with one of the half gallon bags as well, and maybe you’d have more time for zipping up. Let me know how it goes!
Do you know what this reminds me of? At military school, you’d hear explosions on the parade ground outside of our dorm rooms- Cadets filled the MRE (Meals Ready To Eat) Bags with water, the internal heater activated by water and positioning, and then closed the bags up, again. The gasses would cause the explosion….lots of them during finals.
Fun experiment! Now, I need to go find my boxes of MREs….I’m sure they’re fine after 15 years. Seriously, there are probably totally fine. 
LOL, you always crack me up, Tricia! Of course you have a super scientific/brainy anecdote
That sounds like fun, too, but at a higher octane!