and has anyone ever tried it?
2007-02-15 16:41:51 · 7 answers · asked by Fernando C 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes
Mythbusters have tried this, it took a few thousand ballons to lift a small six year old child, as this was the myth they where trying to bust , that a small child was carried away by a bunch of ballons. The amount of ballons need was huge and no ballon vendor would be able to carry the amount they used just to get this child off the ground.
7000 ballons to lift average man
2007-02-15 16:53:19 · answer #1 · answered by visyboy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Or one really big balloon will do. They do it all the time. Helium weather balloons go almost to the edge of space, carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment. What would be interesting to try is just enough balloons to almost match your weight with lift. That would be the same as lowering the net effect of gravity, so you could jump 30 or 100 feet, as if you were on the moon. But I don't think anyone's tried it, maybe for good reason. I suppose the wind could blow you away.
2007-02-16 01:47:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most weather balloons are filled with hydrogen, not helium. It is more efficient and much cheaper.
The balloons used in the Mythbusters episode were not filled with helium but with party gas. This is a mixture of 70% nitrogen and 30% helium. It is the gas with which we are all familiar in party and fairground balloons. Pure helium is too expensive and unnecessary for such balloons.
Hydrogen and helium have been used to lift people off the ground in airships and blimps. They are still used today.
2007-02-16 02:26:47 · answer #3 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This has been tried. See the news story at the link below.
http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/walters.asp
A man in a lawnchair with weather balloons attached went aloft to about 16,000 over Long Beach in 1982. A somewhat different version of this story hit the internet in 1997.
2007-02-16 01:49:18 · answer #4 · answered by Northstar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's weird. I was just thinking of this question yesterday. Yeah, I think they would lift you well off the ground.
2007-02-16 00:46:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
couple of hundred balloons strapped to a lawnchair, the man who tried it was cited by the FAA
2007-02-16 23:04:41 · answer #6 · answered by blinkky winkky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you dont need a million a couple hundred is enough
2007-02-16 00:45:22 · answer #7 · answered by Pop 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋