balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

pops when the material that makes up its surface tears or shreds, creating a hole. Normally, there is a balance of the balloon skin's

elastic Elastic is a word often used to describe or identify certain types of elastomer, elastic used in garments or stretchable fabrics. Elastic may also refer to: Alternative name * Rubber band, ring-shaped band of rubber used to hold objects togeth ...

tension Tension may refer to: Science * Psychological stress * Tension (physics), a force related to the stretching of an object (the opposite of compression) * Tension (geology), a stress which stretches rocks in two opposite directions * Voltage or el ...

in which every point on the balloon's surface is being pulled by the material surrounding it. However, if a hole is made on the balloon's surface, the force becomes imbalanced, since there is no longer any force exerted by the center of the hole on the material at its edge. As a result, the balloon's surface at the edge of the hole pulls away, making it bigger; the high pressure air can then escape through the hole and the balloon pops. A balloon can be popped by either physical or chemical actions. Limpanuparb ''et al.'' use popping a balloon as a demonstration to teach about physical and chemical hazards in laboratory safety.

Physical

pin A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...

or needle is frequently used to pop a balloon. As the needle or pin creates a hole on the balloon surface, the balloon pops. However, if tape is placed on the part where the hole is created, the balloon will not pop since the tape helps reinforce the elastic tension in that area, preventing the edges of the hole pulling away from the center. Likewise, the thick spots of the balloon at the top and the bottom can be pierced by a needle, pin, or even skewer without the balloon popping.

Chemical

File:Cis-1,4-polyisoprene.png, cis-1,4-polyisoprene File:Toluol.svg, toluene File:Limonene-2D-skeletal.svg, limonene

Organic solvent

Applying an organic solvent such as

toluene Toluene (), also known as toluol (), is a substituted aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, water-insoluble liquid with the smell associated with paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) a ...

onto a balloon's surface can pop it, since the solvent can partially dissolve the material making up the balloon's surface. cis-1,4-

polyisoprene Polyisoprene is strictly speaking a collective name for polymers that are produced by polymerization of isoprene. In practice polyisoprene is commonly used to refer to synthetic ''cis''-1,4-polyisoprene, made by the industrial polymerisation of i ...

(solid) + organic solvent → cis-1,4-polyisoprene (partly dissolved) Baby oil can also be applied to water balloons to pop them.

Orange peel

Orange peel contains a compound called

limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring a ...

which is a hydrocarbon compound similar to the rubber that can be used to make balloons. Based on "like dissolves like" principle, rubber balloons can be dissolved by limonene, popping the balloon. If the balloon is

vulcanized Vulcanization (British: Vulcanisation) is a range of processes for hardening rubbers. The term originally referred exclusively to the treatment of natural rubber with sulfur, which remains the most common practice. It has also grown to inclu ...

(hardened with sulfur), the balloon will not pop.

Gallery

File:Popping water balloon.jpg, Pricking a filled water balloon File:Balloon 9125 Nevit.ogv, High-speed capture of water balloon popping File:Balon patlatma 2 00001.gif, Pricking an air balloon File:Balloon popping by toluene.webm, A balloon popped by toluene File:Balloon skewer.webm, Balloon skewer demonstration File:Popped balloons on beach.jpg, Popped balloons on a beach

References

{{Reflist Balloons Physics education Chemistry classroom experiments Articles containing video clips

External links

The science behind why a balloon pops when squirted with an orange peel.