While several lecture demonstrations are possible using methane-filled balloons, it is often inconvenient to prepare these balloons since the pressure from standard laboratory and lecture hall gas nozzles is too low. As a solution to this problem, a methane balloon inflation chamber, prepared from a translucent 3.5-gallon pail and an aspirator or house-vacuum, provides an inexpensive and convenient method for inflating balloons in laboratories or lecture halls. Prepared in this way, methane-filled balloons can be used to demonstrate the effects of vacuum, the lifting power of low-density gases, and the explosive combustion of methane.
Supplement
Video: An explosion of a balloon containing pure methane
and an explosion of a balloon containing methane and oxygen.
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Citation
Czerwinski, Curtis J.; Cordes, Tanya J. J. Chem. Educ.2005 82 248.
Keywords
Alkanes / Cycloalkanes; Calorimetry / Thermochemistry; Demonstrations; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Gases; General Chemistry; High School / Introductory Chemistry; Introductory / High School Chemistry; Oxidation / Reduction; Reactions
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