How Big Is the Balloon? Stoichiometry Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

In this Activity, students discover the concept of stoichiometry and limiting reactants in two ways: first by adding vinegar to a small quantity of baking soda until bubbles stop, and second by mixing a constant quantity of baking soda with increasing volumes of vinegar and collecting the carbon dioxide produced in balloons. This Activity could be used in an introduction to stoichiometry. It is also a simple example of an acid-base reaction. The inflation of the balloon could be discussed in relation to the ideal gas law.