Squeeze a penny through the mouth of
one of our clear balloons. Make sure that the penny goes all the way
into the balloon so that there is no danger of it being sucked out
while blowing up the balloon. Blow up the balloon. When properly
inflated, the balloon will be almost clear in the middle and cloudy
at area near the neck and at the end opposite the neck. The
cloudiness at the ends is unstretched latex, which provides stress
relief. If the balloon is completely clear, all over, it is over
inflated. Tie off the balloon and you’re ready to go. Grip the
balloon at the stem end as you would a bowling ball. The neck of the
balloon will be in your palm and your fingers and thumb will extend
down the sides of the balloon. While holding the balloon, palm down,
swirl it in a circular motion. The penny may bounce around at first,
but it will soon begin to roll around the inside of the balloon. The
best orbit or path for the coin is one parallel to the floor. Once
the coin begins spinning, use your other hand to stabilize the
balloon. Your penny should continue to spin for 30 seconds or more.
The Screaming Balloon
What would Halloween be without
spooky sounds? Here's an easy-to-do experiment using only a balloon
and a hex nut from the hardware store. Be sure to buy enough
supplies for all of your Halloween party guests because everyone is
going to want a screaming balloon!
Squeeze the hex nut through the mouth
of the balloon. Make sure that the hex nut goes all the way into the
balloon so that there is no danger of it being sucked out while
blowing up the balloon. Blow up the balloon, but be careful not to
over inflate the balloon as it will easily burst. Tie off the
balloon and you’re ready to go. Grip the balloon at the stem end as
you would a bowling ball. The neck of the balloon will be in your
palm and your fingers and thumb will extend down the sides of the
balloon. While holding the balloon, palm down, swirl it in a
circular motion. The hex nut may bounce around at first, but it will
soon begin to roll around the inside of the balloon. What is that
sound? Could the balloon be screaming? Once the hex nut begins to
spin, use your other hand to stabilize the balloon. Your hex nut
should continue to spin for 10 seconds or more.
