2006-11-22 17:01:09 · 6 answers · asked by Clara 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
I never saw a busted balloon falling from the sky? Have you? Does it happens that way? Sorry... this seens dumb.. but my child wants to know, and I really have no clue. Thanks.
2006-11-22 17:14:04 · update #1
All the anwers are true regarding the balloons expanding and eventually popping as they go higher and the rubber toy ballon expands.
I would like to ad that even if the balloon is able to expand as in the case of a very high altidude weather balloon [some can go 40km high] there is the the added phenomonon that all helium balloons is experience. The inability to completely contain the extremely small helium atom. Haven't you noticed what happens to a toy balloon inflated to the same size as another same balloon blow up with your lungs? The helium one loses it's size much faster. The helium not only escaped from the balloon's knot, but the helium atoms passed right through the balloon's membrane itself! The much larger atmospheric atoms that cheifly make up our breathable blanket do not migrate across the balloon's membrane as efficiently. This being the case, a high-altitude weather balloon can expand to a half dozen times it's sea-level size, but when the helium escapes out through the process described above it loses size/displacement and therefore bouyancy so it begins to sink then it falls as the atmosphere crushes down the size further. The hydrogen atom is even smaller. That is one of the reasons why a long flight lighter-than-air machines such as The Graf Zeppelin had to hold the hydrogen in thin aluminum foil-cells rather than a rubber cell which would actually have to be thicker and much heavier than the aluminum for a given retention of hydrogen. Did I also mention that rubber would be a very bad idea to have as a substance surrounding hydrogen? It would just adding more fuel to the fire. Not that it mattered. Oh, the Humanity!
2006-11-22 17:54:45 · answer #1 · answered by Rocinante57 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
helium balloons that float up into the sky will expand as they rise, due to the decreasing air pressure. Eventually, it will reach a height where the pressure of the expanding gas inside the balloon is great enough to burst the balloon, after which the remains of the balloon fall back to earth.
2006-11-23 01:07:08 · answer #2 · answered by Steve-o-58 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do you mean go up?this is as a result of density. since helium balloons are less dense than air,it will go until it the density of air up there is the same as the density of the balloon.it will remain there until the balloon becomes smaller(the air inside go outside)
and drops down. some people(ingcluding me when i was five) thing that the ballon will go to the universe..to the moon...:)
2006-11-23 01:09:28 · answer #3 · answered by mr.maths 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mean when you let them go? They will eventually fall in the ground. Helium is able to escape the plastic ballon and eventually there will be only normal air inside the ballon.
2006-11-23 01:04:16 · answer #4 · answered by shkabaj 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They go to balloon heaven of course!
2006-11-23 12:40:31 · answer #5 · answered by arbolito 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn oh wait ...did i miss a joke
2006-11-23 01:04:32 · answer #6 · answered by jokerswild 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋