Unit A Section A3 Introduction How Gases and Liquids are Affected by Temperature and Compression
Completion requirements
Section 3: Gases and liquids are affected by temperature and compression.
Unit A: Section 3 – Introduction
Helium Balloon Flight
Figure A.S.3.1 – Releasing helium balloons into the air is bad for the environment, because animals eat the litter.
Most people are familiar with helium balloons as a party decoration. Helium balloons are filled with helium gas. Helium gas particles are lighter than air. As you will learn later in Section 3, light gases are less dense than air, which makes them
float in air.
Because helium balloons are so light, they seem unlikely to lift heavy objects. Balloons lifting heavy objects happens in movies and cartoons, but could it happen in real life?
Helium balloons probably couldn’t lift a house, but they can lift people! Many helium balloons tied together can create enough upwards buoyant force to lift a human off the ground. Several people have tried this stunt, including a man in 2015 who attached helium balloons to a lawn chair and flew over Calgary. This man was arrested, because his balloon chair could have crashed into airplanes. Even though it’s possible, helium balloon flight is very risky and should be avoided.
Because helium balloons are so light, they seem unlikely to lift heavy objects. Balloons lifting heavy objects happens in movies and cartoons, but could it happen in real life?
Helium balloons probably couldn’t lift a house, but they can lift people! Many helium balloons tied together can create enough upwards buoyant force to lift a human off the ground. Several people have tried this stunt, including a man in 2015 who attached helium balloons to a lawn chair and flew over Calgary. This man was arrested, because his balloon chair could have crashed into airplanes. Even though it’s possible, helium balloon flight is very risky and should be avoided.
Figure A.S.3.2 – Helium balloons rise in the air.
Figure A.S.3.3 – It is possible to lift a human with helium balloons.
Watch More
Can Helium Balloons Lift a Person?
Watch this experiment attempting to lift a person with large helium balloons.
Watch this experiment attempting to lift a person with large helium balloons.
Watch this news report about a man who dangerously flew over Calgary in a lawn chair attached to helium balloons.
There is one man, nicknamed "Curious John", who flies often with helium balloons.
Words to Think About:
Check out the word cloud below. It pictures the important words that you are going to learn in this section. Watch for these words, and combinations of these words, as you read. When you see them highlighted, you can click on them to learn more about
what the word means. You can also visit the course glossary and read definitions for all of these words.
Lessons in This Section
Lesson A7: Viscosity
Key Question – How does temperature affect the ability of a fluid to flow?
Lesson A8: Density
Key Question – How is density related to the particles in a fluid?
Lesson A9: BuoyancyKey Question – Why does density affect the ability of objects to float?
Lesson A10: Pressure
Key Question – How can a fluid be compressed into a smaller space?
Reading and Materials for This Section
Science in Action 8
Reading: Pages 38–61
Materials Lists for Unit:
Figure A.S.3.4 – Helium is used to propel rockets into space.
Figure A.S.3.5 – MRI medical machines need helium.
Disappearing Helium
Figure A.S.3.6 – Inhaling helium gas is dangerous and can cause death.
Helium is found in the ground, usually in natural gas wells. It is not flammable and is used for several important purposes other than balloons.
Helium is used as a coolant. It cools magnets in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines to make them work. MRI scanners create pictures of the inside of a human body. MRI scanners are used to diagnose health problems with the brain and spine.
Helium is also used to pressurize the fuel tanks of rockets. Rockets are necessary to launch spacecraft, including satellites. Without satellites, communications technology like GPS maps and satellite TV wouldn’t operate.
There is a lot of helium in the universe, but we’re running out of helium on Earth. Once helium escapes into the air, it can’t be recovered, and we can’t make more. The shortage is making helium more expensive. Eventually, we might not be allowed to waste helium in balloons anymore.
Helium is used as a coolant. It cools magnets in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines to make them work. MRI scanners create pictures of the inside of a human body. MRI scanners are used to diagnose health problems with the brain and spine.
Helium is also used to pressurize the fuel tanks of rockets. Rockets are necessary to launch spacecraft, including satellites. Without satellites, communications technology like GPS maps and satellite TV wouldn’t operate.
There is a lot of helium in the universe, but we’re running out of helium on Earth. Once helium escapes into the air, it can’t be recovered, and we can’t make more. The shortage is making helium more expensive. Eventually, we might not be allowed to waste helium in balloons anymore.
Watch More
Helium Shortage
What would a world without helium be like? Watch this video to find out more.
The host of the last video breathed in helium, which was dangerous. Even though it makes your voice sound funny, you should never inhale helium. Helium blocks oxygen in the body, and can make people pass out, stop breathing, and even die.