A resounding “Wow” was heard from fifth-graders when they watched common household items inflate a balloon.

BASF volunteers provided the “It’s a Gas” demonstration at Deer Park Elementary School in Newport News on March 25 as part of the chemical company’s award-winning Kids’ Lab program.

Ninety fifth-grade students learned about acid-base reactions and the gases they generate by combining baking soda, vinegar and Alka Seltzer to create carbonyl sulfide gas to inflate a balloon. Volunteers from BASF’s Suffolk site and Deer Park Elementary School teachers assisted in the hands-on project.

“The Kids’ Lab program helps students learn at an early age about the excitement and importance of chemistry and science,” said Patrick Hochstrasser, Suffolk site director for BASF.

The BASF Kids Lab is a global program for children ages 6 to 12 creating fun with chemistry and encouraging kids to explore the connections between chemistry and the world around them through safe and engaging hands-on experiments. It was launched in North America in 2010 and has engaged more than 50,000 participants.