why is helium and not hydrogen now used to make airships float?

Answer 1

cos hydrogen is explosive, remember hindenburg?

Answer 2

Actually folks the current theory on the Hindenburg is that the skin, not the Hydrogen is the culprit. The skin was covered in a Aluminum oxide mix simular to soild rocket fuel. In the Hindenburg fire there were visible flames. Hydrogen burns clear.......

As for the question asked, all are on the mark. The Germans wanted to used hydrogen. But the USA had most of the world's Helium. After Hitler took power, the deal to sell the helium fell through.

Answer 3

As others have said, Hydrogen is highly flamable where as helium isn't. Hydrogen is actually quite a lot lighter than Helium though so it provides more lift. So appart from the flamablity issue is is better than helium in that respect.

It is also true that current thinking now puts the Hindenburg disaster down to static electricity and the material the skin was made of.

Answer 4

Hydrogen vs helium

If we compare the first two elements in the periodic table, hydrogen and helium, they both have the same basic structure of a nucleus and orbiting electrons.

However, while hydrogen has only one proton in its nucleus, helium has two protons, along with two neutrons.

Equally, while hydrogen only has one electron orbiting, helium has two.

Bottom line, they are both lighter than air and can be used in balloons for lift.

Helium is more stable, and also cheaper.

Answer 5

Helium is an inert gas which means it is not combustable, unlike hydrogen which is quite combustable. Remember the test tube of hydrogen and lighted splint, the pop is amusing but a large volume of hydrogen would be lethal.

Answer 6

Besides being highly explosive, hydrogen is super small and difficult to keep contained. Helium is small but a lot larger than hydrogen. Helium is plentiful and a lot safer.

Answer 7

whilst airships can carry as many passengers as airplanes can, they don't look to be greater mushy that airplanes whilst donning that a lot of human beings. airships do have prodigious lifting capacity additionally, yet over all they don't look to be less difficult to fly than airplanes are, and that they don't look to be everywhere close to as in a position airplanes are the two. they are slow, hard to land, and require a super team to make a touchdown take place. interior the tip something an airship may well be in a position to, and airplane can already do and already has finished. as for utilising image voltaic capacity to run an airship, image voltaic capacity continues to be in its infancy, and isn't yet able to truly powering an airship.

Answer 8

I believe its down to the fact that Helium is far less reactive and therefore less likely to explode than Hydrogen.

Answer 9

Coz hydrogen is very explosive and highly flammable, while helium is the exact opposite. Read this if your free,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

Answer 10

Hydrogen is highy explosive. Helium while not quite as light and as accessible as Hydrogen is inert.

Answer 11

When the pilot talks to the passengers he can take a little breath of Helium & speak like donald duck.... breaks the monotony on a long flight....QUACK QUACK!!