Year: 2012
Media: weather balloons, argon, helium, rope
Contained within the balloons are the different Nobel gases Argon and Helium. They are inert, stable and unreactive. The tendency of balloons to float or sink is dependent on the density of the gas inside the balloon – if it is denser, the balloon will sink and conversely. By taking into account other forces including lift, mass and gravitational forces, one can create an equilibrium state by applying a precise offset so that directional forces cancel and balance each other. This was achieved using Argon, a Nobel gas with a larger atomic mass than Helium.