======Liquid Nitrogen Shrinking Balloon====== **Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\ **Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\ **Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\ \\ **Categories:** {{$demo.categories}} \\ **Alternative titles:** Liquid Nitrogen and a Balloon ====Summary==== {{$demo.summary}} ====Procedure==== - Put on safety glasses and cryogenic gloves. - Inflate a balloon and tie it securely. - Using metal tongs, hold the balloon while carefully pouring liquid nitrogen over its surface. - Observe as the balloon rapidly shrinks due to cooling. - Hold the balloon up and allow excess nitrogen to drip off. - As the balloon warms in the air, watch it expand back to its original size. - Speed up the process by gently blowing warm air on the balloon. ====Links==== Pressure Demo: Balloons in Liquid Nitrogen - Physics Demos: {{youtube>PdMtGyNEEv8?}}\\ 📄 Liquid nitrogen + balloon - Fizzics Education: [[https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/150-science-experiments/heat-experiments/liquid-nitrogen-balloon-2/?srsltid=AfmBOooC_Bl6G-_P6bHV3ByJD_uoLPUqYEnt-3BqvwbrqneoY1bxuxVJ]]\\ ====Variations==== * Use multiple balloons to create a before-and-after display for dramatic effect. ====Safety Precautions==== * Safety glasses required. * Wear cryogenic gloves when handling liquid nitrogen. * Use metal tongs - never hold the balloon directly while pouring nitrogen. * Perform in a well-ventilated area. * Be cautious of the balloon popping if overstressed from temperature change. * Never allow liquid nitrogen to become trapped inside the balloon. ====Questions to Consider==== * Why does the balloon shrink when cooled by liquid nitrogen? * How does Charles’s Law explain this phenomenon? * Why does the balloon expand again as it warms up? * Would helium-filled balloons behave differently from air-filled balloons? Why? * How does this demonstration help us understand how gases behave in weather and everyday life?