Can a Balloon be Filled with Vacuum in a Vacuum?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Ender55
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Balloon Vacuum
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether a balloon can be filled with vacuum while placed in a vacuum environment. Participants explore the implications of pressure differences on the behavior of the balloon, considering scenarios involving gases and the effects of external vacuum conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if a balloon can be filled with vacuum in a vacuum, suggesting that a balloon filled with gas would expand until it pops due to external pressure differences.
  • Another participant argues that a vacuum inside the balloon and outside would result in no net pressure difference, implying the balloon would neither inflate nor deflate.
  • A different viewpoint suggests that if a balloon contained a very small amount of air, it could expand slightly until the internal pressure differential is balanced by the tension in the balloon material.
  • One participant acknowledges that the amount of air inside the balloon is a significant factor in its expansion behavior.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views on the behavior of a balloon in a vacuum, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of how a balloon would react under these conditions.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not fully agree on the definitions of vacuum and pressure differentials, and the implications of these definitions on the balloon's behavior are not fully explored.

Ender55
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Could a balloon be filled with vacuum - in a vacuum?

And if a balloon was filled with any other gas and put in a vacuum, it would just expand until it popped, no doubt?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
From how I am thinking - a vacuum and a vacuum would have same pressure so the balloon would neither inflate or deflate.

As for the gas question - yes it would eventually pop. Becuase the pressure outside of the balloon would be much lower than the gas inside.
 
If a balloon was put in a vacuum with a very small amount of air in it, it could just expand a bit until the tension in the balloon was sufficient to sustain a somewhat small pressure differential between inside (some non zero but very low pressure) and outside (zero pressure).
 
Okay i should of said the amount of air is a factor but yes it does expand the balloon :P
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
5K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
16K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
16K