What is Balloon: Definition and 481 Discussions

A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light sources. Modern day balloons are made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, and can come in many different colors. Some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig bladder. Some balloons are used for decorative purposes or entertaining purposes, while others are used for practical purposes such as meteorology, medical treatment, military defense, or transportation. A balloon's properties, including its low density and low cost, have led to a wide range of applications.
The rubber balloon was invented by Michael Faraday in 1824, during experiments with various gases. He invented them for use in the lab.

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  1. G

    Basic Kinematics Balloon

    Ive been stressing on this problem for a while ill show you the work below A hot-air balloon is rising upward with a constant speed of 2.60 m/s. When the balloon is 3.20 m above the ground, the balloonist accidentally drops a compass over the side of the balloon. How much time elapses before...
  2. ~christina~

    Helium Balloon and spring

    Homework Statement A light spring of constant k= 90.0N/m is attatched to a table vertically. A 2.00g balloon is filled with helium (d= 0.180kg/m^3) to a volume of 5.00m^3 and is then connected to the spring, causing the spring to stretch as shown. Determine the distance L when the balloon is...
  3. F

    Basic kinematics of a balloon rising

    Q- A balloon is rising at 10m/s when its passenger throws a ball straight up at 12m/s .How much later does the passenger catch the ball? How would I approach this problem ? I am terrible at physics when it comes to doing the first basic step on a problem. If anyone can point me in the right...
  4. A

    Calculating Maximum Load Capacity of a Hydrogen-Filled Balloon

    Help with a problem: A spherical, hydrogen-filled balloon has a radius of 12 m. The mass of the balloon plastic and support cables is 196 kg. What is the mass of the maximum load the balloon can carry? (Density of hydrogen = 0.09 kg/m^3; density of air = 1.25 kg/m^3) I do not know...
  5. S

    How to Calculate Charge on a Balloon After Losing Electrons

    [SOLVED] Balloon losing electrons Homework Statement You have a neutral balloon. The charge of an electron is -1.6x10^-19C. What is its charge after 19000 electrons have been removed from it? Answer in units of microcoulombs. Homework Equations I THINK Q = Ne The Attempt at a...
  6. N

    Pressure in Star-Shaped Balloon: Fact or Fiction?

    I was wondering, In a star shaped balloon, isn't the pressure inside the same in the center as it is in the smaller edges? But let's say I also add some more air. As the air is being pumped in, wouldn't the pressure momentarily be higher in the points. If so, wouldn't their temperature be...
  7. C

    What is the tension in the line holding a helium-filled balloon?

    Homework Statement An empty rubber balloon has a mass of .0120 kg. The balloon is filled with helium at a density of .181 kg/m^3. At this density the balloon is spherical with a radius of .500m. If the filled balloon is fastened to a vertical line, what is the tension in the line...
  8. C

    Calculating Acceleration of Helium Balloon

    Homework Statement I have a balloon with helium in it, I need to know the acceleration that it rises. It would be great if you could tell me what I need if I am missing any. This is what I have, Density of liquid(air) = 1 g/l Density of Helium = .1786 l/g Volume of Balloon = 91 cubic...
  9. S

    Helium Balloon and Compton Generator

    From Classical Mechanics by Taylor: "The Compton generator is a beautiful demonstration of the Coriolis force due to the Earth's rotation,... A narrow glass tube in the shape of a torus or ring (radius R of the ring >> radius of the tube) is filled with water, plus some dust particles to let...
  10. M

    What will be the volume of the balloon?

    [SOLVED] Gas Law Problem Homework Statement An expandable balloon contains 1400L of He at 0.950 atm pressure and 18 deg C. At an altitude of 22 miles (temp 2 deg C, and pressure 4 Torr. What will be the volume of the balloon? Homework Equations (P1V1)/T1 = (P2V2)/T2 1 atm = 760 Torr...
  11. F

    How Many Helium Atoms Fill a Standard Balloon?

    Homework Statement (a) How many atoms of helium gas fill a balloon of diameter 29.4 cm at 23.5°C and 1.00 atm? (b) What is the average kinetic energy of the helium atoms? (c) What is the root-mean-square speed of the helium atoms? Homework Equations P=2/3[N/V][1/2mv^2]...
  12. B

    Find the Min. Balloon Diam. for a 269kg Lift

    Homework Statement Under standard conditions, the density of air is 1.293 kg/m3 and that of helium is 0.178 kg/m3. A spherical helium balloon lifts a basket plus cargo of mass 269.0 kg. What must be the minimum diameter of the spherical balloon? Homework Equations p = F/A The...
  13. B

    Solving a Hot Air Balloon & Champagne Cork Problem

    Homework Statement A hot air balloon rises from the ground with a velocity of (2.0m/s)y. A champagne bottle is opened to celebrate takeoff, expelling the cork horizontally with a velocity of (5.0m/s)x. When opened, the bottle is 6 m above the ground. a) What is the initial velocity of the...
  14. I

    Newton's laws and a balloon

    Homework Statement A balloon with an attached basket and a total mass of 1200 kg is hovering at an altitude of 500m. A bag containing 100kg of sand is emptied over the side of the basket. Find the upward acceleration of the balloon after the sand has been poured out. Homework Equations...
  15. D

    Packaged dropped from Hot Air Balloon

    Homework Statement A Hot air balloon is traveling vertically up- ward at a constant speed of 2.6 m/s. When it is 19 m above the ground, a package is released from the balloon. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. After it is released, for how long is the package in the air? Answer...
  16. R

    Calculate Temperature & Density of Balloon at 500m: PV = MRT

    ambient air with 15 degree C and atm pressure of 1.013E5 N/m^2. Balloon is filled with ambient air before it was lifted up to 500 m by a helicopter where the pressure is 950 hPa, what will the balloon's internal temperature and its internal mass density? I try to use PV = MRT and I found...
  17. E

    What is the upward force on the hot air balloon?

    I have 2 problems that i can't do You apply a force of 0.35N up to lift a fork. The resulting acceleration is 0.15m/s2 up. Determine the mass of the fork (the answer is 35g-why?) A hot air balloon has acceleration of 1.10m/s2 down. The mass is 315kg. What is the upward force on the...
  18. M

    Free Fall Equations on hot air balloon

    Homework Statement A hot-air balloon is descending at a rate of 2.0 m/s when a passenger drops a camera. If a camera is 45m above the ground when it is dropped, (a) how long does it take for the camera to reach the ground(b) what is the velocity just before it lands? Let upward be the...
  19. P

    What is the tension in the cord of a helium balloon tied to a child's wrist?

    Helium Balloon Question! Hey I have a buoyancy question here, anyone know how to solve it? A 15 gram rubber balloon is filled with 18 L of Helium (density 0.179kg/m^3) and tied with a string to a child's wrist. Find the tension in the cord. The answer is 0.050N but what is the solution? Im not...
  20. T

    Does Balloon Lift Force Increase or Decrease with Altitude?

    As a helium balloon increases in altitude, the density of the air inside decreases. However, the density of the air surrounding it (The atmosphere) also decreases with altitude p=p0*exp(-z/z0), where z0 is the scale height of the atmosphere. So does this mean the lift force acting on the...
  21. E

    Buoyant Force on a Helium Balloon

    Homework Statement A helium balloon has volume V0 and temperature T0 at sea level where the pressure is P0 and the air density is \rho_0. The balloon is allowed to float up in the air to altitude y where the temperature is T. (a) Show that the volume occupied by the balloon is then V =...
  22. D

    Crumple Zones & Balloon Compression

    Can somebody give me a link to a place where they explain crumple zones and know how to simulate that with poster board and balloons? And how would i figure out the perfect amount of air to put into a balloon to withstand as much compression as possible?
  23. T

    Projectile Motion of Flying Balloon

    Homework Statement A balloon is flying directly upward with a constant velocity of 6.0 m/s. When it reaches 145 m above the ground, a package is thrown horizontally at 4.5 m/s with respect to the balloon. How many seconds after being launched will the package hit the ground? Homework...
  24. X

    Calculating Diameter of Balloon to Lift 20 Metric Tons

    Homework Statement balloons are required to lift 20 metric tons. the pressure of helium is 101.325kpa. temp=21.1degcelsius. what should be the diameter of the balloon if it was spherical in shape in order to lift the weight? Homework Equations bouyant force?? The Attempt at...
  25. M

    Building a Balloon Car: Increasing Speed

    Hi All, I'm building a balloon car and I'm in need of ways to increase the speed of the car. Here's a description: Attach a balloon to a car. Rave the balloon powered car over 3 meters. The car must move on its wheels and the sole source of propulsion must be provided by the balloon...
  26. I

    Balloon - variation of volume with mass.

    Homework Statement Well, I think I could figure this out, but I have limited time, and apparently it isn't meant to be in THAT much detail. I'm attempting to assess how the volume of a balloon will vary with mass of gas added to it. It doesn't have to be exact. Homework Equations I'm...
  27. K

    How Do You Calculate Buoyant and Net Force on a Helium Balloon?

    Homework Statement An empty rubber balloon has a mass of .0111 kg. The balloon is filled with helium at 0degrees C, 1atm pressure, and a density of .179 kg/m^3. The filled balloon has a radius of .154 m. What is the magnitude of the buoyant force acting on the balloon? Answer in units of N...
  28. T

    Calculating Mass of Helium in a Balloon

    Homework Statement A balloon 20 m in diameter is filled with helium at a gauge pressure of 2.0 atm. A man is standing in a basket suspended from the bottom of the balloon. A restraining cable attached to the basket keeps the balloon from rising. The balloon (not including the gas it...
  29. G

    Help Solving a Problem Involving Gaussian & Spherical Balloon Charge

    I can't figure out how to get started on this problem. Maybe you guys can help. A spherical balloon carries a total cahrge Q(1C) uniformly distributed over the surface. At t=0, r=r(sub 0), at t=30s, r=2r(sub 0). Find what is the electron field at 90 s at a distance of .5m from the balloon...
  30. R

    Weight of air-filled balloon vs empty balloon

    Homework Statement Take 2 rubber balloons A and B of equal mass. Balloon A is filled with air and balloon B is left empty and the two are weighed in a pan balance. What will you observe and why? 2. The attempt at a solution The balloon with air will appear lighter if experiment is...
  31. M

    How do I determine the height from which the stone is dropped?

    Homework Statement A balloon is rising vertically at a constant speed of 21 m/s. A stone is dropped from the balloon. The stone strikes the ground 10 seconds later. Assuming that air resistance is negligible and that acceleration on Earth due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2, from what height is the...
  32. C

    Ideal Gas Law Helium balloon Problem

    Ideal Gas Law Problem :) Homework Statement A balloon is filled with helium at a pressure of 1.0 x 10^5 Pa. The balloon is at a temperature of 23°C and has a radius of 0.13 m. (a) How many helium atoms are contained in the balloon? (b) Suppose we increase the number of helium atoms in...
  33. P

    Finding the maximum density of a balloon

    Homework Statement A balloon is filled with helium at an atomospheric pressure. The skin of the balloon has a mass of 3.1 kg and the volume of the balloon is 18 m^3. Homework Equations What is the greatest weight of the balloon? The Attempt at a Solution In order to determine the...
  34. T

    Solving the Equation: Finding h in a He-filled Balloon

    Homework Statement A helium-filled balloon at atmospheric pressure is tied to a 3.1 m long, 0.100 kg string. The balloon is spherical with a radius of 0.40 m. When released, it lifts a length (h) of the string and then remains in equilibrium as in Figure P9.78. Determine the value of h. When...
  35. S

    Inflating Balloon: Help Sergio Find the Correct Answer

    This is one of many postings from me this week :yuck: unfortunately I'm just not getting the correct answers...anyway here I go : A toy balloon is inflated with helium at a constant pressure that is 4.2e5 Pa in excess of atmospheric pressure. If the balloon inflates from a volume of 1.4e-4m3...
  36. T

    Fluids mechanics Helium balloon

    A spherical helium balloon is 2.5 m in diameter and has a total mass of 6.7 kg. When released into the U. S. Standard Atmosphere, at what altitude will it settle? My first thought was that diagram has the weight of the balloon acting downward, buoyant force upwards. -weight + Fb = 0...
  37. A

    Calculating Buoyant Force on a Helium-Filled Balloon

    buoyant forces I was having trouble with this problem. please let me know how to approach this. thanks. An empty rubber balloon has a mass of 0.0135 kg. The balloon is filled with helium at a density of 0.181 kg/m3. At this density the balloon is spherical with a radius of 0.400 m. If the...
  38. J

    How Much Helium Is Needed to Lift a 4000 kg Load with a 600 kg Weather Balloon?

    Helium Balloon Question...Help! A 600 kg weather balloon is designed to lift a 4000 kg package. What volume should the balloon have after being inflated with helium at standard temperature and pressure in order that the total load can be lifted? density of helium .179 and air is 1.29. I have...
  39. M

    Help! I Need a Hint on Isothermal Balloon Expansion Problem

    I got stuck on the following problem, which is very important for my exam preparations - would anyone mind giving me a hint? A balloon of Volume V(0) is tethered to the ground using a light cable. It is filled with helium gas of density rho (He). At ground level the pressure and density in...
  40. R

    There's a giant glowing balloon outside

    And some film technicians running around with cameras and sound booms. The streets surrounding were I am are blocked off. It's past midnight; these hollywood people are mentally ill. But we already knew that. :rolleyes:
  41. L

    Abt helium balloon and electrolysis

    Sorry I am poor at using English to describe things. I hope you will patiently read my questions and answer them. 1. I saw some helium balloons today. We all know that if you do not hold the helium balloons, they will rise up to the sky. But today I saw a bundle of helium balloons (their...
  42. P

    Fluid Mechanics of a weather balloon

    Here are a couple problems I would like to check and a couple I'm not sure how to do: 1.3)A 650kg weather balloon is designed to lift a 4600kg package. What volume should the balloon have after being inflated with helium at 0C and 1 atm pressure to lift the total load? Density of helium =...
  43. R

    Maximum weight that helium balloon can lift

    Hi. I have been trying to do this question for about an hour now... A 0.12 kg balloon is filled with helium (density-0.179). If the balloon is a sphere with a radius of 5.2m what is the maximum weight it can lift. I tried using the P=M/V then Fb=pgV...No luck...Help..
  44. V

    What is the acceleration of the balloon and instruments?

    I have tried to solve these problems all day, but to no avail. I am very confused! 8. The instruments attached to a weather balloon have a mass of 5.0 kg. The balloon is released and exerts an upward force of 95N on the instruments. A. What is the acceleration of the balloon and...
  45. K

    Solving the Air Balloon & Pellet Problem

    A hot air balloon is ascending straight up at a constant speed of 7.0 m/s. When the balloon is 12.0m above the ground, a gun fires a pellet straight up from the ground level with an initial speed of 30.0 m/s. Along the paths of the balloon and the pellet, there are two places where each of them...
  46. Y

    Rocket balloon in a parrallel line

    Our teacher just gave us a priject to complete and i cannot figure it out. first of all we have limited supplies. we can use 5 ballons, 6 straws, 10 paperclips, 5 rubberbands, a whole roll of masking tape, scissors and a guide wire that cannot be altered. Our goal is to get the a balloon to go...
  47. Y

    Help Rocket Balloon with Gravity - 65 Characters

    Rocket balloon with gravitaion? Our teacher just gave us a priject to complete and i cannot figure it out. :grumpy: first of all we have limited supplies. we can use 5 ballons, 6 straws, 10 paperclips, 5 rubberbands, a whole roll of masking tape, scissors and a guide wire that cannot be...
  48. P

    High-Altitude Research Balloon Design: Questions Answered

    For a lab I am working on, we are designing a high-altitude research balloon. I have some questions though. 1. How do I calculate the volume of a zero-pressure balloon? By taking my mass of the body over the density of the air at altitude, does this give me the volume of gas needed at...
  49. P

    Calculating Balloon Volume Change with Altitude

    A helium balloon has volume V0 and temperature T0 at sea level where the pressure is P0 and the air density is p. The balloon is allowed to float up in air to altitude y where the temperature is T1. a) Show that the colume occupised by the balloon is then V = V0(T1/T0)e^(+cy) where c =...
  50. D

    Explosive Physics Experiments: Dry Ice and Water Balloon

    Not long ago I read an article here in PF about explosion of dry ice in a bottle and I just accidentally found one of the video... If you are interested, u might want to check it out: http://www.spikedhumor.com/Article.aspx?id=360 Another physics experiment performed on water balloon...
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