Re: Why do helium balloons fall faster in a hot room than in a cold room?

Date: Mon Jan 25 12:44:15 1999
Posted By: Dan Berger, Faculty Chemistry/Science, Bluffton College
Area of science: Physics
ID: 916696857.Ph

Message:

Why do helium balloons fall faster in a hot room than in a cold room?

I have done an experiment testing latex and mylar helium balloons in three different temperatures (36, 68 and 98 degrees). They were observed over 48 hours. I understand why the mylar stay up longer, but don't know why the temperature affects how long the ballons stay inflated. Thank you.

Helium balloons deflate by diffusion (leakage) of helium atoms through the balloon wall. A less-permeable material like mylar will lose helium more slowly, and this is covered elsewhere on our site.

However, the speed of diffusion is effected by the average velocity of the helium atoms, which is to say the temperature. The faster the helium atoms are moving (and the faster the molecules of the balloon wall are vibrating) the easier it will be for helium to move through the balloon wall and out the other side.

	Dan Berger
	Bluffton College
	http://cs.bluffton.edu/~berger

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