Would balloons filled with helium still rise in a weightless environment such as a space station in orbit?

Answer 1

No they wouldn't because of the lack of gravitational force due to orbital mechanics. The wouldn't float anymore that a glove released in midair would fall.

Answer 2

We need to examine your question pretty carefully, because there are a number of things occurring at once.

Is the space station (or other enclosure) effectively a "weightless" environment? If so, then the station cannot be rotating about its own axis. Otherwise it would impart a slight gravitic effect, making the hull appear "down". Also, the station is orbiting at such a speed that the centrifgual force exerted by the movement exactly balances the gravitic force of the nearby stellar bodies (in this case, earth). Again, this implies there is no "down".

However, the air pressure within the station is certainly higher than vacuum. Most likely, it is at or near sea level (14 psi or so). Note from the above discussion that there is no difference in density from the wall to the center of the open area, since there is no gravitic effect.

Helium is less dense than the standard composition of gases making up our earth-normal atmosphere. Hence it tends to rise until the outside air density equals the helium density in the balloon.

There is nothing to suggest the composition of the air inside the station; however, we can reliably assume it will be more dense than pure helium (since the only less dense medium would be pure hydrogen, which is unbreathable, or a vacuum). Also, the density of the medium will be constant throughout the station.

Since there is no "less dense" region in the station, there is nothing for the balloon to seek in terms of an equilibrium point. It will remain stationary - unless it is acted upon by an outside force (like a push), in which case it will travel in a straight line until either friction (air rubbing on the outside of the balloon) or some other restriction (i.e. a wall or obstacle) impedes its progress.

As soon as there is some gravitic effect (for example a spin imparting artifical gravity), though, things change. The air density near the hull will be slightly higher than the density at the center of the station. In this case, the balloon will move to the region of lowest density ... the middle of the open space, equidistant from the all hull points.

Answer 3

A helium baloon rises up in our atmosphere because it is lighter than the other gases. Here lighter means the force of gravity pulls it with less force than the other gases. So in a weightless environment where there is no force of gravity it isnt lighter than anything and nothing is heavier that it.

Also without any force there wont be any change in momentum. So the balloon filled with Helium gas if not in motion in an weightless environment it wont rise.

But if it has an initial motion (if somebody gave it an impulse) it will move eternally with a constant speed in a straight line.

Answer 4

A helium balloon rising has nothing to to with gravity but with density.
Helium is less dense than air therefore it rises. If you were on the ISS and had an atmosphere similar to air then the balloon would rise.
If you took the balloon into the vacuum of space, a different property would make it pop!!! (Boyle's Law)

Answer 5

No. Without gravity there is no force on the balloon. A lead weight and a helium balloon behave exactly the same way. They obey Newton's laws, staying in one place, even if that place is mid air, unless acted on by a force, such as a hand pushing them or air currents carrying them.

Answer 6

No. They rise here on earth because the outside air is heavier then the the helium, which pushes the balloon "up." Sort of like how a lifejacket will float in water, since it is less dense then the water, thus less heavy so the water pushes it up. Without gravity to pull water or air down in order to push lighter things like a balloon up, the effect becomes null.

Answer 7

The rising of a Helium filled balloon is due to buoyancy. The surrounding air is of higher density. Hence it floats up. In space there is no atmosphere. Hence it would stay where released and would not rise.

Answer 8

by weightless do you mean a vacuum? or free from the effects of gravity?
Helium balloons rise because they are lighter than the air they are in, they are still effected by gravity, but would stop rising in our atmosphere when their density inside is matched by that outside.
Gravity does not really come into it, it effects all objects of all densities equally, the old adage of which falls faster 1kg of lead or 1kg of feathers, both same.
You decide on your answer that fits the environment you mean.

Answer 9

define rise?
to go up?
ok, so which way is up in a weightless environment?