Why will a helium-filled balloon rise in air while an air-filled balloon sinks?

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: Both balloons displace air and have a buoyant force that depends on their volumes. If buoyancy were the only force acting, they both would rise. But there's weight. The air-filled balloon is simply heavier than the air it displaces, thus its weight is greater than the buoyant force, and it sinks. It is heavier because the stretched balloon fabric compresses the air within. Likewise for the helium, but it is so low in density that even when compressed it is still lighter than the air it displaces.

Physics & Space Science

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