Can a Fly Lift a Balloon with Human Breath?

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The discussion centers on whether a fly inside a balloon can lift the balloon by flying upwards against its top. Participants explore the general principle of whether a flying object can lift a closed hollow object if it possesses sufficient power and the internal environment mirrors the external one. The balloon in question is filled with human-exhaled air, not lighter gases like helium. There is a consensus that the answer is not straightforward, and participants are encouraged to reason through the physics involved. The conversation highlights the complexity of the question, suggesting that it may relate to principles of buoyancy and force.
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The thread title is meant to be "Can a fly lift a balloon", it's Tom now due to a small mistake while posting.

This question was raised on a dutch technology forum.

Specific:
Can a fly in a balloon lift the balloon by flying upwards against the top of the balloon?

More general:
Can a flying object in a closed hollow object lift the closed hollow object if the flying object has enough power and the environment properties are the same inside and outside of the closed hollow object?

Notes:
- The closed hollow object is full with air exhaled by a human, not with hot air or helium.
- Feel free to ask more specific details.
 
Last edited:
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What do you think?
 


negitron said:
What do you think?

I think it's possible, but I'm not sure, that's why I am here to ask others.
 


TomWij said:
This question was raised on a dutch technology forum.

Specific:
Can a fly in a balloon lift the balloon by flying upwards against the top of the balloon?

More general:
Can a flying object in a closed hollow object lift the closed hollow object if the flying object has enough power and the environment properties are the same inside and outside of the closed hollow object?

Notes:
- The closed hollow object is full with air exhaled by a human, not with hot air or helium.
- Feel free to ask more specific details.

We know the answer, but aren't talking yet. What was the consensus on the Dutch forum?
 


berkeman said:
We know the answer, but aren't talking yet. What was the consensus on the Dutch forum?
There are different opinions on this question, that's why we are looking for confirmation on what would be the right opinion.
 


Well, we generally don't give out answers to this type of question, because in the end it could be for a school assignment.

So alternately we can ask you to reason it out. When a fly is hovering right near the ground, what is holding it up off the ground?
 


Thank you LeonhardEuler for answering the question. :-)
 
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At expense of what would the balloon would rise?
 

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