Running head: MIDTERM 1

Midterm

Madison Weimer

Ivy Tech Community College

MIDTERM 2

Round 1

Question: Will Alka Seltzer and water inflate a balloon?

Claim: Mixing Alka Seltzer and water will inflate a balloon.

Materials:

1 12 inches by 30.48 centimeters round latex balloon

1 Fibreglass tape measure

1 digital thermometer

2 Alka Seltzer fast relief original tablet

1 ScoutPro scale

1 50 ml Graduate cylinder

1 125 ml Flask

Tap Water

1 House key

Procedure:

1. Gather materials

2. Pick up Alka Seltzer tablet and house key

3. Use house key to create a line in the center of the tablet

4. Apply light pressure to break the tablet into two pieces

5. Use the scale to weigh one half of the tablet to ensure it is 1.6 grams

A. In the case it weighs more, use the house key to file off the tablet until it weighs 1.6

grams

B. In the case it weighs less, repeat steps 2 through 5 until the tablet weighs 1.6 grams
MIDTERM 3

6. Convert the recommended amount of water on the Alka Seltzer packaging from ounces to

milliliters for a half of one tablet

A. Round to the nearest whole number if necessary

7. Pick up the graduated cylinder

8. Use the tap water to fill the graduated cylinder to 30 ml

9. Pour the water in the graduate cylinder into the flask

10. Pick up the thermometer

11. Place the thermometer in the flask with the tip resting in the water but not touching the

bottom of the flask

12. Turn on the thermometer

13. Record the temperature of the water

14. Remove the thermometer from the flask

15. Place a piece of the Alka Seltzer tablet inside the balloon

16. Use the graduated cylinder to break the tablet apart while staying inside the balloon

17. Stretch the balloon so that the balloon fits tightly around the opening of the flask

18. Hold the balloon up so that is it vertically in line with the flask to allow the Alka Seltzer to

fall into the water

19. Twirl the flask in a circular motion for approximately 30 seconds

20. Remove the balloon off of the flask

21. Immediately tie the balloon closed in a knot

22. Pick up the tape measure

23. Measure the horizontal circumference of the balloon with the knot facing upward at the

widest point
MIDTERM 4

24. Record the circumference in cm

25. Repeat steps 5 through 24 two additional times

Evidence - Round 1 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trail 3

Starting Temperature 74.8 76.5 74.8

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Ending Temperature 74.3 76.1 74.8

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Balloon 15 18 17
Circumference
(centimeters)

Conclusion: Our claim is supported.

Research:

Alka Seltzer and water are a remedy to relieve pain and ease indigestion. What in

Alka Seltzer does these two things? An ingredient in Alka Seltzer is aspirin, this is what relieves

pain. Another ingredient is baking soda, sodium bicarbonate. The baking soda does not ease

indigestion itself however it does spark a chemical reaction in which the products do ease

indigestion. The sodium bicarbonate reacts with the water breaking down into bicarbonates

(HCO3-). The bicarbonates then in turn react with the hydrogen in the active ingredient of citric

acid. This specific reaction results in water and carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas,

observable as the bubbles forming at the top of the water, is what alleviates indigestion

(Rowland). Just as the carbon dioxide humans breath out that is used to blow up balloons, the

carbon dioxide from the chemical reaction between the Alka Seltzer and the water also blows the

balloon up. When humans blow up balloons they keep their mouths tightly around the opening of

the balloon and push their breath into the balloon to expand the latex. To recreate this in our

experiment we secured the balloon around the opening of a flask. The carbon dioxide gas was
MIDTERM 5

forced to go into the balloon due to the gas molecules being trapped in a confined space

(http://www.coolscience.org/CoolScience/Teachers/Activities/BalloonBottle.htm). The gas

created fills the flask completely. At the point when the gas has filled the flask the gas then

begins to push into the balloon (https://sciencebob.com/build-a-fizz-inflator/). The more gas

inside the balloon, the more pressure there is inside the balloon. Balloons inflate when the

pressure inside of them exceeds the pressure outside

(http://www.coolscience.org/CoolScience/Teachers/Activities/BalloonBottle.htm).

The gas continuously being made by the ongoing chemical reaction in the flask creates

more and more pressure with the gas itself. The pressure inside the balloon increases because the

confined area of space for the gas molecules to move in, the flask and the inside of the balloon,

does not allow the molecules to escape. As the amount of gas continues to increase the pressure

inside the balloon, the balloon itself also increases as the gas molecules push the balloon outward

(Robertson, 2005). Balloons are usually made of rubber or latex. These two materials are ones

that stretch easily. Balloons can be inflated with different kinds of gases however the process of

how the balloon expands is the same for all different gases alike.

Our balloon in the first round expanded to eighteen centimeters at the most and fifteen

centimeters at the least. Our first question was whether or not the Alka Seltzer and water would

inflate or expand the balloon. The claim we stated was that it would. The groups overall

knowledge on Alka Seltzer was limited. Our claim was a guess. The research explained the

chemical reaction, stated the reactants and the products of the reaction, and the process of how

the products inflate the balloon. The research supports and gives background knowledge of the

Alka Seltzer and balloon experiment. Now that the process behind the experiment is known, our

group is going to manipulate the variables (the reactants).

MIDTERM 6

Round 2

Question: Will the balloon inflate more when the starting temperature of the water is higher?

Claim: The circumference of the balloon will increase when the starting temperature of the water

is increased.

Materials:

1 12 inches by 30.48 centimeters round latex balloon

1 Fibreglass tape measure

1 digital thermometer

2 Alka Seltzer fast relief original tablet

1 ScoutPro scale

1 50 ml Graduate cylinder

1 125 ml Flask

Tap Water

1 House key

1 Hot plate

1 Tong

Procedure:

1 Gather materials

26. Pick up Alka Seltzer tablet and house key

27. Use house key to score the tablet

28. Apply pressure to break the tablet into two pieces

29. Use the scale to weigh one half of the tablet to ensure it is 1.6 grams
MIDTERM 7

A. In the case it weighs more, use the house key to file off the tablet until it weighs 1.6

grams

B. In the case it weighs less, repeat steps 2 through 5 until the tablet weighs 1.6 grams

30. Convert the recommended amount of water from ounces to milliliters for a half of one tablet

A. Round to the nearest whole number if necessary

31. Plug the hot plate into an outlet

32. Allow the hot plate at least 10 minutes to reach maximum heat

33. Place a piece of the Alka Seltzer tablet inside the balloon

34. Use the flask to break the tablet apart while staying inside the balloon

35. Use the tap water to fill the graduated cylinder to 30 ml

36. Place the graduated cylinder on the hot plate

37. Pick up the thermometer

38. Place the thermometer in the cylinder with the tip resting in the water but not touching the

glass of the graduated cylinder

39. Turn on the thermometer

40. Allow the cylinder enough time to heat the water to approximately 174.6 degrees fahrenheit

41. Remove the thermometer

42. Use the tongs to remove the graduated cylinder from on top of the hot plate

43. While holding the cylinder with the tongs pour the heated water into the flask

44. Stretch the balloon so that the balloon fits tightly around the opening of the flask

45. Hold the balloon up so that is it vertically in line with the flask to allow the Alka Seltzer to

fall into the water

46. Twirl the flask in a circular motion for approximately 30 seconds

MIDTERM 8

47. Remove the balloon off of the flask

48. Immediately tie the balloon closed in a knot

49. Pick up the tape measure

50. Measure the horizontal circumference of the balloon with the knot facing upward at the

widest point

51. Record the circumference in centimeters

52. Repeat steps 5 through 27 two additional times

Evidence - Round 2 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trail 3

Starting Temperature 174.6 174.6 174.6

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Ending Temperature 106.2 103.5 109.8

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Balloon 16.5 16 19
Circumference
(centimeters)

Conclusion: Our claim was not supported.

Research:

Reactants need one thing to react to one another, energy to come together or break apart.

The amount of kinetic energy increases when heat is added to the reactants. Heat causes the

reactants molecules to move faster. The faster movement results in the molecules hitting each

other (having more energy) more often and at higher speeds. This increase in movement if high

enough to cause the molecules to react allows the rate of the reaction to increase (American

Chemical Society). Even though the rate of reaction increases this is not to say the amount of the

reactants or the products changes, positively or negatively. Increasing the temperature only

speeds up the reaction, it does not change the amount of the reaction itself.
MIDTERM 9

The temperature of the water serves as a catalyst. Pathwayz.com defines a catalyst as a

substance that speeds up a reaction, but is not used up in the process (is not a reactant)

(https://www.pathwayz.org/Tree/Plain/RATES+OF+REACTION+-+FACTORS). A catalyst does

not increase the products of the reaction; it only speeds up the reaction at hand. In the trials my

group completed we did see the temperature decrease after the chemical reaction had occurred.

The post temperature decreasing seemed to be evidence confirming temperature was being used

up somehow in the chemical reaction. The high temperature, as a catalyst, did fluctuate but the

water itself did not become a reactant in the reaction. The water still remained after the chemical

reaction had occurred, it did not interact with another reactant to combine or break down its

molecules. The decrease in temperature of the water was a result of some of the energy from the

heated water being consumed in the reaction as energy. The decrease in the temperature was not

significant. The water temperature dropped on average sixty-eight point one degrees Fahrenheit.

This amount seems hefty however the ending temperature was still in all trials over a hundred

degrees Fahrenheit, extremely hot to the touch.

The first variable my group manipulated was the temperature of the water. The starting

temperature of the water was over a hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. As a group we thought

the circumference of the balloon would increase when the starting temperature of the water

increased. The thought process behind our claim was that we knew temperature effected an

aspect of the chemical reaction. However, we were unsure which aspect. We decided the increase

in temperature would increase the product, the carbon dioxide gas filling the balloon. The

research did not support our claim but it did correct our misconception of how temperature

effects chemical reactions.

MIDTERM 10

Round 3

Question: Does the amount of Alka Seltzer affect the circumference of the inflated balloon?

Claim: The circumference of the inflated balloon will increase when the amount of Alka Seltzer

is increased.

Materials:

1 12 inches by 30.48 centimeters round latex balloon

1 Fibreglass tape measure

1 digital thermometer

2 Alka-Seltzer fast relief original tablet

1 ScoutPro

1 50 ml Graduate cylinder

1 125 ml Flask

Tap Water

1 House key

Procedure:

1 Gather materials

53. Pick up Alka Seltzer tablet and house key

54. Use house key to score the tablet

55. Apply pressure to break the tablet into pieces

56. Use the scale to weigh the pieces of the tablet

57. Record the weights in grams of three individual pieces of the tablet

58. Convert the recommended amount of water from ounces to milliliters for a half of one tablet

A. Round to the nearest whole number if necessary

MIDTERM 11

59. Pick up the graduated cylinder

60. Use the tap water to fill the graduated cylinder to 30 ml

61. Pour the water in the graduate cylinder into the flask

62. Pick up the thermometer

63. Place the thermometer in the flask with the tip resting in the water but not touching the

bottom of the flask

64. Turn on the thermometer

65. Record the temperature of the water

66. Remove the thermometer from the flask

67. Place a piece of the Alka Seltzer tablet inside the balloon

68. Use the graduated cylinder to break the tablet apart while staying inside the balloon

69. Stretch the balloon so that the balloon fits tightly around the opening of the flask

70. Hold the balloon up so that is it vertically in line with the flask to allow the Alka Seltzer to

fall into the water

71. Twirl the flask in a circular motion for approximately 30 seconds

72. Remove the balloon off of the flask

73. Immediately tie the balloon closed in a knot

74. Pick up the tape measure

75. Measure the horizontal circumference of the balloon with the knot facing upward at the

widest point

76. Record the circumference in cm to correspond to the weight of the piece

77. Repeat steps 7 through 25 two additional times with two separate pieces of the Alka Seltzer

tablet
MIDTERM 12

Evidence - Round 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trail 3

Starting Temperature 74.8 74.8 74.8

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Ending Temperature 77.0 78.1 75.0

(degrees Fahrenheit)

Balloon 21 11 17
Circumference
(centimeters)

Weight of Alka-Selzter 2.9 0.7 1.7

(grams)

Conclusion: Our claim was supported.

Research:

The second variable my group manipulated was the amount of one of the reactants in the

chemical equation, the Alka Seltzer. The amount of water, the catalyst, remained the same

because we only wanted to see the effect of the increase in one of the reactants. By keeping the

water, the amount of the temperature, at a consistent amount the group was able to observe a

different outcome with the understanding it was a result of the change of one aspect. Only

changing one aspect instead of multiple aspects at a time is so the data observed can be

correlated as an outcome of one specific change. If multiple aspects were changed, there would

be no way to know with accuracy which change affected the end result. The amount of Alka

Seltzer used in the trials varied, one trial had almost a whole tablet while the others had less and

less. Our claim was that when we increased one reactant, the product yielded would increase as

well.

According to Le Chtelier, the position of equilibrium will move in such a way as to

counteract the change

(https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Equilibria/Le_Chatelier's
MIDTERM 13

_Principle/2._Le_Chatelier's_Principle). With the amount of one reactant having been increased,

per Le Chateliers principle, the chemical reaction will automatically rebalance itself resulting in

the increase of the product. The principle is saying all chemical equations keep a balance. If one

aspect of the equation is manipulated, the reaction instinctively balances the sides of the equation

out to equal each other. Our trials proved this to be correct. When the amount of Alka Seltzer was

increased we witnessed a significant increase in the circumference of the balloon after the

chemical reaction. The chemical reaction happening between the Alka Seltzers ingredients had

more bicarbonates. The reaction had more bicarbonates and hydrogen molecules in the citric acid

on the left side of the equation which results in the equation producing more carbon dioxide gas

to balance out the left (reactant) side and the right (product) side of the equation.

Our claim appeared to be supported in our evidence. The research conducted here also

supports our claim. Our thought process behind this claim was relative to our understanding of

you get out what you put in. We inferred from this common statement if we put more into the

reaction we would in turn receive more out of the reaction. After researching the observations

made in our trials, we can now put a name to the concept we applied, Le Chateliers principle.

The principle includes and can be applied also to pressure, temperature, and volumes in a given

chemical equation. The principle is one learned by observation however often times the

observation is failed to be given a name for the student to identify with. In the classroom once

this principle is observed and the students talk about it, even in the simplest terms such as my

group did, the opportunity is present for the teacher to step in and insert the correct wording for

the concept.
MIDTERM 14

References

American Chemical Society. (n.d.). Temperature and the Rate of a Chemical Reaction. Retrieved

March 21, 2017, from

http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson4

Chemistry Libretexts. (2017, March 08). 2. Le Chatelier's Principle. Retrieved March 21, 2017,

from

https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Equilibria/Le_Cha

telier's_Principle/2._Le_Chatelier's_Principle

Cool Science. (n.d.). Balloon in a Bottle. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from

http://www.coolscience.org/CoolScience/Teachers/Activities/BalloonBottle.htm

Pathwayz. (n.d.). RATES OF REACTION - FACTORS. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from

https://www.pathwayz.org/Tree/Plain/RATES OF REACTION - FACTORS

Robertson, W. C., & Diskin, B. (2005). Air, Water, & Weather. Arlington, Virginia: NSTA Press.

Rowland, T., PhD. (2002-2017). Classroom Activity: Facilitator/Educator Guide: Plop, Plop,

Fizz Fast: The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-

projects/Classroom_Activity_Educator_Temperature_Reaction_Time.shtml

Science Bob. (2015, November 01). BUILD A FIZZ INFLATOR. Retrieved March 21, 2017,

from https://sciencebob.com/build-a-fizz-inflator/