Need a little more noise in your life? This science experiment will make a noise that will make any noise your kids make seem pleasant. My boys tried a few different objects inside the balloon and were able to make a range of sounds from quiet whooshes to screaming shrieks.
What you need:
- Balloons, latex 9-11” party balloons work best
- ¼# hex nuts
- pennies
What you do:
- Stretch the neck of the balloon a bit to slip in the hex nut or penny.
- Carefully blow up the balloon and tie it off.
- Swirl the balloon to make the penny or hex nut roll around quickly along the insides of the balloon.
- Listen for the sounds!
Why it works
Did you notice how the penny makes a whoosh and the hex nut makes a screech? The science behind the noises is that the penny has smooth, rounded sides fitting the interior of the balloon creating a whoosh. The hex nuts flat edges cause the hex nut to bounce and vibrate against the balloon interior, creating the shrieking. Try different shaped objects to discover different noises.
Stay Brilliant! Another easy science experiment from ThinkStretch!
