I mean a regular toy balloon, filled with Helium. How high up does it go? What happens at maximum altitude? Please cite your source, if you don't mind. My 3 year old let his "Trader Joe's" balloon fly out of his hand in the front yard yesterday, and is demanding a full explanation as to why Daddy was unable to retrieve it. No kidding.
2006-11-08 23:21:41 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
density of helium balloon is less than density of air( with 1 atmosphere pressure) so it goes up(just like wood floating water).
but density of air decreases by decreasing pressure(i.e. increase altitude) so in a certain altitude, density of air becomes equal to density of balloon then balloon cease to go higher.
to get more info you can search "archimedes principle"
I'm afraid you can not explain that to your kid! better to buy him a new balloon !
my source : studies in university
2006-11-08 23:46:59 · answer #1 · answered by Ormoz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will keep rising until the air density is no longer sufficient to create enough lift. This will happen when the mass of air it displaces equals its own mass (that is, the mass of the helium and the balloon itself). This is fixed, but the volume of the balloon is not.
As it rises the pressure will fall. This means the air is less dense, so the balloon will displace less mass of air. However, it will also expand and so displace more air. How much it expands depends on what it is made of. Weather balloons are made of very loose, stretchy rubber. They are charged with a tiny amount of helium. When they get very high (way above the height planes fly) they have expanded to be huge.
2006-11-08 23:37:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt that a 3 year old boy will want (or understand?) a scientific story that will get Daddy off the hook. Daddy would need to go up there riding a huge balloon, right? And he might fall off and get hurt, Ouch! Use your imagination, your child will. Perhaps it has gone to balloon heaven? It has joined the Great Circus in the sky? The Rainbow gets its colors from all the pretty balloons. It goes to the North Pole for Mr. and Mrs. Santa to enjoy during their vacation. It has returned to "Trader Joe's" factory to be reassigned to another little boy but we can also get another. Why burst his dreams? Some of the greatest scientists had wild imaginations.
2006-11-09 00:44:52 · answer #3 · answered by Kes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in case you're able to permit a helium balloon bypass into the sky, it may upward thrust up, and finally pop... the helium interior the balloon is exerting a stress, and as quickly as that stress is bigger than the balloon textile can face up to, it may pop. the clarification that this does not take place on the exterior is that the stress from our ecosystem balances it out, so it does not pop... it particularly is going to at last make it particularly is a few time past right down to earth, after a protracted fall of direction. POOP!
2016-10-03 11:01:56 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the amount of pressure and helium present in the balloon to calculate its altitude and and as helium is very light it will blow out of the balloon very rapidly. So it might just be out of air before reaching its maximum altitude.
2006-11-08 23:29:27 · answer #5 · answered by lightinblaze 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hehehe
it goes really high up to the sky...to the part of the sky when you can't see your balloon anymore... (it's altitude depends on the temperature or the time of the day it was let go [because when it's hot, it pops easily] and the strength of the material of your "Trader Joe's" balloon [the stronger, the more chances of lasting longer] )...
it will never get out of the earth's atmosphere....
after getting so high up in the sky, it either pops up or falls down back to earth....and land on some place else....to the nearest neighborhood maybe....
2006-11-09 03:52:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
when u relaease a helium balloon it goesup.
its goes up like that until the inside pressure is eqaul to outer pressure.Then the balloon bursts.As altitiude increases the pressure decreases.so the pressure ouside will be less than that of the balloon at some or some height.
2006-11-08 23:28:07 · answer #7 · answered by Naveen 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Helium is lighter than air (our atmosheric mix of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen) so it floats and rises 'above' the denser air
2006-11-09 00:20:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He has a smaller density than the atmospheric oxygen....so it will FLY EVRIKA!!!
2006-11-08 23:58:08 · answer #9 · answered by cata 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It floats up to the sky!!Fly away!!
2006-11-08 23:32:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋