Re: how to calculate the g forces required to burst a water balloon

Calculating the exact forces on a balloon that is partly squashed by water 
is a rather difficult problem.  The easiest way to get an idea of when the 
balloon will burst is to use a technique called dimensional analysis.  The 
idea is to think of all the quantities that play a part in determining the 
answer, and try to multiply them together in a way that gives the right 
dimensions.  The answer is a tensile strength, with dimensions of pressure 
(e.g. Energy/Volume).  What quantities are likely to determine this 
answer?  There’s the gravitational constant (units of Energy/Length/Mass), 
the density of the water (units of Mass/Volume), and the surface tension 
of the rubber (units of Energy/Area).  The trick is to multiply these 
together and maybe raise the product to some power, so that they come out 
to have dimensions of pressure.  Play around a little, and you should be 
able to find a solution.

Larry