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How do Hot Air Balloons Work?

Hot air balloons and blimps are able to fly because the gases used have several different physical characteristics. These gases can change with differing temperatures, and the density of the gas fluctuates. This gives the balloon or blimp buoyancy, or the ability to float. Helium and other gases have lower molecular weights that force them upward, through the denser gases. These molecules remain spread far apart from each other, which encourages them to lift upward. Colorful hot air balloons can handle much hotter air, which is also lighter. This air is pushed upward, lifting the balloon into the sky. Colder air molecules have a lower energy of motion, while hotter air and gases tend to take up much more volume. When the volume of air is increased, and the density of the air is decreased, it pushes that hot air upward.

• How Hot Air Balloons Work - An interesting insight about how hot air balloons are able to fly through the air.
• E-Balloon - All things hot air balloon, including lots of amazing photos.
• Hot Air Balloon Experiment - See how these amazing balloons float by trying out your own experiment.
• Build Your Own Balloon - An amazing web page that shows you how to make your very own hot air balloon!
• Hot Air Balloon Facts - Some interesting facts about the history and workings of hot air balloons.

There are three basic phases of matter. Of these three, gases have the most stored energy, while solids have the lowest. Solids have a definitive shape and volume, and liquids do not have a definite shape. With gases, there is no definite shape or volume, so the molecules are held together simply by force. These forces cannot hold the gas molecules together, although they do interact with each other. A gas molecule can travel as fast as 1,000 miles per hour when present in standard temperature and pressure. At this extremely fast speed, the gases are colliding, which scatters them into different directions.

• What a Gas! - An experiment for K-4 that shows how gases work and how air can exert force.
• Fun With Gas - This involves using carbon dioxide to blow up a balloon.
• Science Experiments - Several fun and easy science experiments involving gas.

Density is essentially how close molecules are spaced together. Another way to look at density is an object’s weight. Items with higher density can be the same size as something with a lower density, they will just weigh more. For example, an element such as metal has a high density, while gases are lower in density. If something has low density, it tends to be lighter and a lot more sparsely spread. This is why hot air balloons use gases to help get them up in the air; the weight or density is much lower, allowing the balloon to lift up.

• Three Layer Float - This easy experiment demonstrates how different matter has different levels of density.
• Liquid Density Experiment - Find out if things will sink or swim; a good way to learn about the density of liquid.
• Multiple Density Experiments - Contains several different science experiments showing how density works.

Buoyancy is basically an object or matter's ability to float in water. Technically, it is the upward pressure or force caused by the fluid underneath of the object which in turn causes it to float. Density plays a role because the density, or weight, of an object can affect its buoyancy. The forces of the water pushing an object up to cause it to float can be compared to how hot air balloons float. The lighter the object and the force of the gases combined cause the balloon to rise up and seem to carelessly float along in the air.

• Experiment with Buoyancy - See how a ship floats using this easy experiment.
• Floating & Sinking - Using simple household items, you can see how things either float or sink.
• Making a Penny Float - You can make a penny float with this fun experiment.

Helium is a colorless, odorless gas that is most commonly used in small balloons to make them float. This gas has also been used as a source of fuel for the US military. It has a very low atomic mass, which is the main reason it is so light and why it causes objects to float. It is a natural element, and is the second most abundant element in the entire universe, aside from hydrogen.

• Experiments with a Helium Balloon - Several different ways to exhibit helium and how it works using a balloon.
• Helium Bubbles (video) - An awesome video showing how helium bubbles rise.
• More Helium Balloon Experiments - Several more experiments using helium balloons.

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