How high can a helium filled balloon reach and how does it end it's journey?

Question

How high can a helium filled balloon reach and how does it end it's journey?

4 Answers

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Answer 1

It depends on the temperature and air pressure of the atmosphere.. I would say easily over 20,000 feet.. Possible way higher.
The pressure inside the ballon compared to the pressure in the atmosphere will eventually give way due to the gas molecules moving less and less as the temperature gets colder with height.
Then, sure enough, the balloon will fall back to earth.
I don't think that any ordinary helium balloon would ever reach space...
It would probably take about 2-3 months before it returned to the ground and it would probably be anywhere from 150-500 miles away depending on common wind patterns...
Sounds like a neat experiment..
Attach your phone number to a balloon and let it go.. See what happens over the next several months.. :P
Hope I helped!

Answer 2

Jaman Negi answered

It will start floating when it reach the equal pressure state in the sky... Neither will it go up nor down...

Answer 3

These days, some places have restrictions on the size and weight of toy helium balloons so they stay below some altitude, away from commercial air traffic. By my calculations, an 18" Mylar balloon weighing about 8 grams will have a ceiling of about 20,000 ft.

The balloon ends its life in the atmosphere the same way it does in your living room. The helium leaks out and it falls to the ground. In the wild, the chances are better that it will fall to the ocean (where it joins the great mass of plastic trash circulating in the ocean).

The record for an unmanned hydrogen balloon is about 173,900 ft.

Answer 4

If it's your average toy balloon filled with helium, as it rises in altitude the surrounding air pressure decreases. As the external pressure decreases, the balloon expands in size (volume increases-see density equation below). It will keep rising until it's density equals the density of the surrounding air. At a certain point the balloon will expand enough so that the helium molecules will be small enough to seep out (this happens also if your balloon is in a room). As the helium escapes, the density of the ballon will increase (Density = Mass/Volume) as the volume will decrease faster than the mass. The balloon will stop rising and eventually will start descending.