This week we learned a little about Passover, and one thing we talked about was the difference between unleavened bread and the bread that we eat . . . which naturally led to a discussion about yeast and how it works. So of course, we did an experiment to see first-hand:
The materials we used were quite simple: empty water bottles, warm water, sugar, yeast, balloons and rubber bands.
We filled the water bottles 2/3 of the way full of warm water, added some sugar and shook (with the lid on) to dissolve the sugar into the water.
Next, we added the yeast and then put a balloon over the opening. (I wrapped a rubber band around the balloon for added peace of mind!) Then we GENTLY swirled the bottles to mix in the yeast.
After that, it was time to head outside to place our little experiment out in the warm sunshine!
And here's what began to happen . . .
It was pretty cool to watch the balloons expand over the span of 15 or 20 minutes!
While we were waiting, Jaden showed us that HE could inflate a balloon much faster than the little "yeast guys" ;-)
And here's the end result: Lael's experiment . . .
. . . and Jaden's
We decided that, for being little guys, yeast is pretty impressive in what it can accomplish -- whether that's inflating a balloon or causing our yummy bread to rise!
