Toy balloons are full of holes

Q: Why do helium balloons come down after a few days? Can't they make balloons that keep helium in?  Ben, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A:  Mylar star balloons dangle from the ceiling, the pianist strokes her ivories, and waiters waltz through the crowd.  When the party's over, the balloons drift down. "Why?" asks Reader Ben.

Blow helium into a toy balloon and the elastic membrane stretches. The solid-appearing membrane is riddled with...  More on "Toy balloons" >>>

Related Lesson Plan, Courtesy of Home school curricula
 

Non-popping a balloon

Learning objective:  Filling a hole with sticky tape will keep it from popping, much like HI-FLOAT seals the holey flaws in a balloon's membrane.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Topics: Molecules

Try this Magic Trick - The Unpoppable Balloon  (from Medieval Lesson)

Merlin is a popular wizard from the story of King Arthur. Try this magic trick, and friends and family will think you are quite a wizard yourself.

You will need a balloons, transparent tape, and a straight pins.

Blow up several balloons and hand them out to your audience, along with a straight pin. Instruct your audience that if they know the correct magic words, they can stick a pin in their balloon without popping it. Have them try. Of course, all the balloons will pop. Next, stick a pin in your balloon. It doesn't pop!

The trick is to put a small piece of transparent tape on your balloon, where no one can see it. When you stick the pin through the tape into the balloon, the balloon will not pop. Hint: Do not pull the pin out or the balloon will deflate.

To get a monthly newsletter: Email me your name and email address, and please put the word "teacher newsletter" in the subject. That's it. 

I respect your privacy and will not release your email address to anyone.

My email address is

Thanks!

I'll email you questions/answers and lesson plans each month--the latest.  It's free.

Past WonderQuest Lessons:

The most poisonous creature on earth

Octopus is kin to slugs and snails

 

Suggestions & Comments

Please send to: 

• Comment:  "April Holladay is a local writer who has a wonderful column in USA Today called WonderQuest.  I've known her for many years and always find her columns accurate and well written.
  
  "She has a new web page aimed at teachers."
  
  See:  http://www.wonderquest.com/teachers-science-corner.htm
  
  Steve Brügge
  Science Teacher & Webmaster, Eisenhower Middle School
  http://www.aps.edu/aps/eisenhower/brugge/brugge.html
  15 May 2007

  Reply:  Thanks, Steve.  Kudos from you is high praise indeed.   Steve's science class regularly wins the NM Science Bowl competition and even the regional Science Bowl.
   

• Comment:  WOW! Double WOW! I'm impressed. Such talent, and so much work. Where do you find the time? Have you enslaved a bunch of Munchkins that do all this?
  Walt Murfin
  15 May 2007
  
  Reply:  Actually, there are many Munchkins behind the scenes. I haven't exactly enslaved them, but I couldn't do it without them.  Click here to see the 500 or so contributors.
   
• Comment: I love your newsletter! 
  Bobbie, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist
  2 July 2007
   

• Comment:  It's a good idea, but needs to be marketed (i.e. made visible to science teachers). You might consider putting a couple of different things up for a couple of different grade levels.

  Jesse Johnson, physicist, University of New Mexico
  7 May 2007

  Reply:  Good thought, Jesse. 
   

• Comment:  Different teachers will want different things. Many teachers will use only that material that they can relate back to their state or district benchmarks or guidelines. The problem is that different states all have different guidelines! On the other hand, many states use National benchmarks to guide the development of their own standards, such as using Project 2061: http://www.project2061.org/

  Eric H. Chudler, neuroscientist, Director of Education and Outreach, University of Washington
  7 May 2007
  
  Reply:  I'll add a lesson guide that relates to the Q&A featured.  Figuring out what teachers can use is difficult, though.  I need feedback. 
   

• Comment:  As a home schooling parent of kids 4 and 6.5, your articles are invaluable!
  Curtis, home-school teacher
  6 July 2007
   
• Comment:  Please add my email address to your teacher newsletter list.  What I've seen so far is wonderful and I look forward to receiving them on a regular basis.  I am just about to start my student teaching and then hopefully I'll be able to have my own class.  I'm looking forward to it, but know the first year I'll need all the help I can get!

Teachers' resources:

Lesson plans about the Amazon, PBS Teachers

Today in science

Education programs, advancing science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS

The New York Times lesson plans

Find this article at: http://www.wonderquest.com/teachers-science-corner.htm

 Visit April's WonderQuest site for many more questions and answers.

Get a monthly newsletter by replying to this email with the word "teacher newsletter" as the subject. Unsubscribe by replying with "unsubscribe" as the subject. 

I respect your privacy and will not release your email address to anyone.