Pre-demonstration Preparation:

1. Mark locations for placement of balloons on stage. In the following staggered pattern, there are 3' between the two rows and 7' between the X's in a row. Using glow-in- the-dark tape mark the back row (6 locations for the Heat Wave balloons) with horizontal pieces of tape. Use vertical pieces to mark the front row (location of 5 additional balloons used for 1812 Overture). Alternatively, zinc sulfide on Scotch tape can be used to mark the locations.

2. Prepare 6 sinkers by attaching 9' of fishing line to each. Tie the line securely through the hole at the top of the sinker. Wind the line around the neck and secure the end with a small piece of masking tape.

3. Inflate 6 balloons with methane. Tie a single knot at the end of each balloon to hold the gas. NOTE: A pressurized source of methane must be used. The gas line in the laboratory does not have sufficient pressure to inflate a balloon.

4. Securely fasten each balloon to a sinker (as prepared in step 2). Tie the line outside the knot on the balloon.

5. Place the balloons fully extended on the marks onstage and set all of the balloons to the same height (around 8'). A good technique is to adjust the height of the first balloon to the height of the shortest demonstrator making sure that this demonstrator can comfortably touch the wick of the torch to the middle of the balloon. The rest of the balloons are set to this height. Height is adjusted by winding the line around the neck of the sinker. Once the desired height is set, the excess line is taped securely at the neck and the rest of the line is wound onto the neck over the tape.

6. Secure the sinkers with balloons off stage by taping the base of each sinker to the floor or to a table. Tape should not touch the line wound around the neck of a sinker. Four balloons are stored on one side of the stage and two on the other.

7. Each demonstrator secures an Aim-n-Flame.

8. NOTE: Methane balloons are not easy to ignite. Without proper technique, the balloons wonít ignite about 25% of the time. Ignition doesnít occur when a balloon bursts and blows out the flame on the torch. Ignition of a methane balloon occurs when the flame causes the balloon to first to rupture and then ignites the expanding methane. A technique that works well is to sweep the torch from the side across the middle of the balloon. Make sure that there is a large flame on the torch.

The Demonstration:

1. As the music begins, the lights are turned off and the 3 demonstrators enter (one from one side and two from the other) each carrying two balloons, one in each hand.

2. Balloons are placed on the marks (horizontal glowing marks) and extended to full height. Grab the line and lift up repeating until you feel the sinker lift off the floor. Set the sinker back down on the mark.

3. On queue demonstrators walk back to the torches and also on queue (burning) light them, remembering to keep their lighters with them in case a balloon blows out their torch.

4. Demonstrators position themselves in front of their first balloon (move from left to right) and ignite them on queue (heat wave). In this manner 3 balloons are ignited simultaneously and a ìwallî of heat moves through the audience.

5. Demonstrators move to their last balloon and ignite them on queue (heat wave).

6. Lights are turned on and each demonstrator removes their sinkers and balloon pieces as they exit the stage.

Safety Precautions:

To avoid confusion all methane balloons are the same color (orange). This color is not used for the hydrogen balloons in the 1812 finale.

Once the balloons are filled close the methane cylinder, vent the regulator, and move the cylinder well away from the stage.

Once balloons are secured off stage, no flames are permitted (i.e. no testing of the Aim-n-Flames).

Ignite the methane balloons at nearly full extension of the torch. Never ignite a methane balloon that isnít above your head (i.e. the line got tangled somehow and did not fully extend).

Disposal:

Sinkers are reused. Balloon pieces are disposed of as solid trash.