What happens to helium balloons after they "float away?

What happens to helium balloons after they "float away" Asked by sandykay 51 months ago Similar Questions: helium balloons float Recent Questions About: helium balloons float Transportation > Aviation.

Similar Questions: helium balloons float Recent Questions About: helium balloons float.

They pop. As the balloon rises, the air in the atmosphere gets thinner. At some point in altitude (around 28,000 feet according to one site listed below), the air pressure inside the balloon is greater than the air pressure outside the ballon.

When that happens.. POP. I should also mention that wind currents can play a degree as well, since the cold air can cause the latex to become stiff sooner than its maximum stretching point and thus burst earlier. balloonhq.com/faq/howpop.html#high_alt" rel="nofollow">balloonhq.com/faq/howpop.html#high_alt Sources: balloonhq.com/faq/howpop.html#high_alt" rel="nofollow">balloonhq.com/faq/howpop.html#high_alt .

My son let a balloon go one time............ He was just a kid........probably about 8 years old. He attached a note to the balloon with his name and phone number of it and let it go. We lived in Pennsylvania.

I can’t remember how long it took, but I believe it was about a month when he got a call. Some kid in Maine got the balloon or maybe it was just the note! Still!

I thought that was really fascinating! That’s at least a 10 hour drive from where we lived! How long will my Helium-filled balloons float?

While it’s the small size (and hence the"lightness") of the Helium molecule that causes Helium-filled balloons to float, this attribute also creates a pesky problem when trying to keep Helium-filled Latex balloons inflated for long periods of time. Because Helium molecules are so much smaller than the space between the molecules of stretched Latex rubber, Helium will slowly seep out of a Latex balloon directly through the balloon’s wall. This is why untreated Helium-filled Latex balloons only stay inflated for a relatively short period of time as compared to air-filled balloons.

On average, untreated 11 inch diameter Helium-filled Latex balloons can be expected to float for about 12-18 hours, and 16 inch diameter Latex balloons will float for up to 24-36 hours after being initially filled (your "mileage" may vary depending on temperature and atmospheric conditions! ) Treating the inside of Latex balloons with a water soluble, transparent plastic material called Hi-Float® will greatly help them hold their Helium longer. This product works because its molecular structure (plastic) is much "tighter" than Latex rubber, so it reduces the rate of Helium loss through the Latex balloon’s outer wall.

What happens to Helium-filled Latex balloons released outdoors? Research has shown that after Latex balloons are launched, they often rise to an altitude of about five miles where they begin to freeze in the -50 degree Fahrenheit cold. In addition, the strong differential between the gas pressure inside the balloon and the near vacuum outside the balloon at that altitude causes the balloons to expand to the point were they eventually burst.

However, because the Latex is frozen, the bursting balloon tears into shreds (the exact scientific term is called "brittle fracture"). These tiny, spaghetti-like pieces then scatter over a wide area as they fall back to Earth where they naturally begin to decay according to the process we discussed earlier. I really thought the balloon itself got to Maine, but after reading this article, I think it must have been the note!

I should call my son and ask him, but since it is 2:30Am he may not find it amusing - especially at 33 years old. Sources: http://www.kcbassociates.com/balloon/facts.htm#What%20happens%20to%20Helium-filled%20Latex%20balloons%20released%20outdoors? Doglover928's Recommendations Helium Quality 12" Assorted Latex Balloons, Solid Colors, 144 Balloons/Pack (TBL1200) Amazon List Price: $15.75 Turned Into a Helium Balloon Amazon List Price: $16.98 Used from: $22.99 Disposable Helium Tank Lift off!

Taking to the skies with helium balloons. : An article from: Science World Amazon List Price: $5.95 11" Magenta Balloon 36" Yellow Balloon .

The helium eventually leaks out, and the balloon falls to Earth as litter. As the balloon rises, the atmospheric pressure around it decreases, so it expands. Sometimes this expansion causes the balloon to pop.

Other times, the expansion increases the microscopic holes that the helium is already leaking out of, and it leaks faster until the balloon sinks back to Earth. Either way, all balloons that are released in to the air end up as trash somewhere else. It is possible for them to be blown over airfields and cause havoc by being sucked into aircraft engines, or tangling on antennas and causing static.

I hope this helps.

They expand as the air pressure decreases and then pop or they travel in a current of air and eventuall rise up... enough for the low air pressure to let them pop.

They go up, and in whatever direction the wind blows. If they go up too high they might pop. Otherwise they'll drift for hours to days until the balloon pops or leaks too much.

Where to order get well balloons in Las Vegas.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.