hot air balloon experiments

How To Make a Hot Air Balloon

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Learn about air density as you make a simple hot air balloon in this easy science project. In its simplest construction, a hot air balloon is comprised of an envelope (the balloon part), a basket, and a fuel source.

In this STEM activity, we'll show you how hot air balloons work by constructing an envelope from a super-lightweight trash can liner and then fuel your balloon with birthday candles.

FIRE SAFETY: Adult supervision required. This project uses birthday candles. Please use extreme caution around the open flame. Young children often put their faces close when blowing out candles! Make sure there are no flammable liquids nearby. Keep a fire extinguisher or smothering method within reach at all times.

What You Need:

• Aluminum foil
• Birthday candles
• Ultra-thin garbage bag (like those lining office trash cans and those that dry cleaners use*)
• Plastic straws (for the frame)
• Adult supervision
• Plenty of indoor space
• String (if flying your balloon in a space where it can travel beyond your reach)

*If using a dry cleaner's bag, you'll need to seal the hole at the top that the hanger goes through.

What to Do:

• Cut a 4 x 4" square of aluminum foil. This will be your "basket."
• Use the lighter to melt wax from the bottom end of the candle so it forms a pool about 1" in from the corner of the aluminum foil.
• Before the wax hardens, press the end of the candle into the melted wax and hold it in place until the candle stands upright on its own. It may take a few tries.
• Repeat with the remaining candles, placing them 1" in from the other three corners. Be gentle with the baskets, as too mush jostling will dislodge the candles. If this does happen, simply melt more wax and secure the candle in place again.
• Fold the edge of the aluminum foil in 1/4 to 1/2 inch, forming a 'wall' to contain the wax as it burns, so it won't drip outside the basket.
• Measure the width of your plastic bag's opening and determine how long your straw frame should be. We simply estimated and used trial and error until our frame fit snugly inside the bag's opening.
• If using flexible straws, cut off the bendable part so only the straight section remains.
• You'll need to fasten the straws into two pieces of identical length for the frame. Each of ours had three straws connected together.
• To connect the straws, cut a small slit (about 1/4 inch) at the bottom of one straw. Insert another straw into the slit. The slit will make the connection stronger, but you'll want to secure it with a little tape for added rigidity.
• Repeat for the second half of your frame.
• Find the middle of your straws and tape them together in an "X," again using as little tape as possible.
• Place the "X" frame snugly inside the bag's opening. Using as little tape as necessary, secure it in place.
• Stagger the straw frame and the candles (so the candles aren't directly above the straws). Tape the basket onto the frame with the candle wicks pointing up into the envelope.
• If you're flying your balloon in an area where it can travel beyond your reach, tie the string to the basket, so you can harness it during its flight.
• Take your hot air balloon to an open, mostly empty room to fly it. (You may try it outside, but even days that don't seem windy usually have too much breeze for a balloon-like this to fly.) We flew ours in our office lobby.
• Have an adult help you launch the balloon. Have one person hold the closed end of the bag up and away from the basket while the other lights the candles. A lighter with a long stem, like an Aim 'n Flame, works best. Continue holding the bag until it fills with air and stands on its own.
• After a minute or so, it should lift off the ground.

A toaster can also be used in lieu of candles. For step-by-step instructions to use a toaster, visit Science Buddies .

What Happened in This Hot Air Balloon Experiment:

One of the important properties of gas is that it expands when it gets hot and contracts when it cools. This means that when you heat a gas, its individual molecules vibrate faster and spread further apart from each other.

As a result, the gas also gets lighter as it gets hotter since the molecules are less concentrated.

The expanding property of gas is what enables hot air balloons to inflate and fly. Hot air going into the balloon has a less dense concentration of molecules, making the inflated balloon lighter than the denser cold air surrounding it.

That denser outer air buoys up the balloon and allows it to float.

Conversely, the effect of cooling air will bring the balloon back down—the air molecules inside the balloon move closer together when cooled, making the air in the balloon no longer lighter than the surrounding air. It's why a cold, damp cloud or fog can be dangerous for a hot air balloon pilot.

Although air might seem weightless, it's actually formed by gases and has mass like any other matter. Usually, the air is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% carbon dioxide and noble gases. The density of air is about 0.075 pounds (or approximately 34 grams—a little more than an ounce) per cubic foot at 70 °F and one atmosphere of pressure.

That's why using lightweight materials was so vital in building this hot air balloon. The weight of the balloon and the air inside it has to be less than the weight of the displaced ambient air in order for it to fly.

Tips & tricks to make your own hot air balloon project:

• If your balloon fills but won't lift off, it may be too heavy. Try cutting the birthday candles in half and carefully stripping the wax at one end to reveal the wick: Partially cut through the candle (not completely though) then slide the scissors off, using the blades to scrape away the wax, exposing the wick.
• Or, instead of traditional birthday candles, use the skinniest ones you can find.
• Painters plastic is the right thickness for your balloon, but you'll have to figure out a way to fasten it into an envelope.

Make a hot air balloon as a science fair project or as one of the science activities you incorporate in your homeschool schedule. Tag us on Instagram and use #HSTINACTION . We want to see it!

For more fun science experiments, visit the Homeschool Hub .

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Kids Science: Flying Tea Bag Hot Air Balloon

• Science Experiments

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My kids are fascinated by things that fly , and today I’m sharing the flying tea bag hot air balloon , a fun hands-on flying activity as part of a new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) series. More on that in a second…

Flying Tea Bag Experiment

This is a quick activity that only requires a fire-safe area and a few supplies you most likely have at home. My husband laughed after he saw the video of this activity (below) because he thought our space was most definitely NOT fire-proof. I disagree, of course, but I will leave it to you to find a safe space for this!

Because there’s some trial and error involved in this activity, it can encourage children to test theories and think like a scientist. See the  Next Steps  section below for ideas on how to extend this activity.

Flying Tea Bag Supplies

• Tea bag (traditional style)
• Dish: Glass or Ceramic
• Matches or Lighter

A Note on Safety

• Be sure that children are supervised by adults.
• Conduct this activity in a fire-safe area. We don’t want anyone setting their house on fire!

Flying Tea Bag Steps

• Cut the tea bag open.
• Pour the contents into a cup and save for later.
• Open the tea bag up and form it into a cylinder.
• Stand the teabag up on the dish.

 Activate the Flying Tea Bag

• Light the top of the cylinder
• Step back and watch it fly!

Watch our Video to see it in action:

Be sure to follow my YouTube channel to be the first to see more videos like this.

What’s happening?

As you probably know, heat rises! Hot air balloons work at lifting a balloon off the ground by making the air inside the balloon hotter, and ultimately less dense, than the air outside. Similarly, this tea bag flying machine lifts off once the fire burns the tea bag into lightweight ash. The rising hot air current lifts what’s left of the bag and blows it into the air.

Next Steps: Full STEAM Ahead

• Ask: What do you think will happen if we light the tea bag on fire?
• Ask: What could have caused the tea bag to lift off the plate?
• Ask: What is it about the tea bag that makes it lift off the ground?
• If it doesn’t work the first time, ask, “what could we try differently?” We initially tested this with a similar technique where we twisted the top of the tea bag. It didn’t work! And my 4-year old found it hilarious.
• Ask: Do you think this would work with a different kind of paper?
• Gather a collection of paper, form them into cylinders, and see if you can make them fly. Some ideas: Newspaper, copy paper, toilet paper. You’ll probably realize that lighter weight paper works best. Why is that?

More Flying Activities

How to Make a Paper Airplane

DIY Straw Rockets

Exploding Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment

DIY Spin Art Machine (we used the flying mechanism from Snap Circuits for this spin art activity)

Activate Learning with STEAM

In that vein, over the next few weeks I’m joining a creative group of engineers, scientists, educators, and artists to launch a new series called STEAM Power, which celebrates interdisciplinary learning with projects that circle around STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) ideas. This week’s theme is FLY , and you can see the other fly-related ideas here:

Dancing Balloons  | Babble Dabble Do

Parachutes | meri cherry, whirly twirly flying birds | left brain craft brain, indoor boomerang  | what do we do all day, paper airplane  | all for the boys, rockets  | lemon lime adventures, m&m’s tube rockets   | frugal fun for boys, steam on pinterest.

You might also enjoy following my STEAM + STEM Activities board on Pinterest for more ideas like this.

[…] Hot Air Balloon from Tinkerlab […]

[…] Rememeber way back when, we did a post on rocket science… well Tinker Lab clocked the flying teabag!!! […]

[…] DANCING BALLOONS / WHIRLY TWIRLY FLYING BIRDS / INDOOR BOOMERANG / ROCKETS / M&M TUBE ROCKETS / ZIP LINE / HOT AIR BALLOON […]

[…] Flying Tea Bag Hot Air Balloon  // TinkerLab […]

I love the expression on your daughter’s face.

I do too, Erica! It was a fun moment for both of us. Thanks for taking time to comment here.

How did you figure this out??! So cool Rachelle! Love the vid.

This trick has been around for ages, and I needed a good excuse to try it out, Meri 🙂

Love this! Your daughter’s face says it all!

Doesn’t it, Ana? We tested it 3 different ways before it worked, and we were both in awe.

[…] A great little hot air balloon science experiment. […]

Love this! My dad used to do this with 4-ply napkins if we ate out – I’d die with embarassment but be amazed and love it all at the same time! He called it Tibetan Fire!

[…] https://tinkerlab.com/kids-science-flying-tea-bag-hot-air-balloon/ […]

Comments are closed.

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20 Balloon Experiments to Make Your Lessons Really Pop

See what we did there?

There’s something about the sight of colorful balloons that just makes you feel a little excited, don’t you think? That’s why kids will go crazy for these balloon experiments, whether they’re building a balloon-powered boat or powering a light bulb with static electricity. Plus, balloons are inexpensive, so stock up at the dollar store and get ready to throw a science party!

1. Blow up a balloon … without blowing

This is one of those classic balloon experiments everyone remembers doing in school. Kids learn about chemical reactions by mixing acids and bases. They’re always amazed at the results!

Learn more: Balloon Baking Soda Experiment

2. Design a balloon-powered car

Explore the laws of motion and encourage creativity when you challenge students to design, build, and test their own balloon-powered cars. Bonus: Use only recycled materials to make this project green! ( Find more cool car activities for the classroom here. )

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car Challenge

3. Skewer a balloon without popping it

If you do this one right, you’ll make kids’ eyes pop—but not the balloon! They’ll learn about the polymers that make balloons possible, and even a little bit about how to stay cool under pressure.

Learn more: Balloon Skewer

4. Float a balloon-powered boat

Discover the power of air pressure and the third law of motion with this fun and inexpensive balloon experiment. Take this one outside on a sunny day and let kids splash away while they learn!

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Sponge Boat

5. Create ice crystal explosions

Fill balloons with water and leave them to freeze overnight. The next day, carefully cut open the balloons to reveal the beauty inside. Kids learn about crystallization and the expansion of water as it freezes. ( Get more science experiments involving ice and snow here. )

Learn more: Super Cool Melting Ice Experiment

6. Explore the science of swim bladders

Just how do fish manage to float without sinking or rising? Find out when you explore buoyancy with this swim bladder experiment using a glass bottle, balloon, and a few other basic materials.

Learn more: How Fish Sink and Float

7. Assemble a heart pump model

Anatomy lessons literally come alive when you do balloon experiments like this one. This working heart model demonstrates how blood pumps through the valves and chambers.

Learn more: DIY Heart Pump

8. Learn how lungs work

Your students might be surprised to learn that lungs have no muscles to make them work. Instead, the contraction of the diaphragm pulls air in and forces it out. This clever model helps explain the process.

Learn more: Lung Science Experiment

9. Blast off with a two-stage rocket

The rockets used for space flight generally have more than one stage to give them the extra boost they need. This experiment uses balloons to model a two-stage rocket launch, teaching kids about the laws of motion.

Learn more: Two-Stage Balloon Rocket

10. Build a hovercraft

It’s not exactly the same model the military uses, but this simple hovercraft is a lot easier to build. An old CD and a balloon help demonstrate air pressure and friction in this simple experiment.

Learn more: DIY Hovercraft

11. Parachute a water balloon

Water balloon experiments make a big splash with kids! In this one, they’ll explore how air resistance slows a water balloon’s landing using a homemade parachute.

Learn more: Water Balloon Skydiving

12. Sink or swim with water balloons

Fill water balloons with a variety of different liquids like oil, salt water, and corn syrup, then float them in a bucket of water to learn about density and buoyancy.

Learn more: Water Balloon Experiment

13. Perform the two balloons experiment

You have two balloons, one filled with more air than the other. When you open the valve between them, what will happen? The answer is almost certain to surprise you. Learn how it works in the video at the link below.

Learn more: Air Pressure Experiment

14. Power a light bulb with static electricity

One of the first balloon experiments most kids try is rubbing a balloon on their hair to make their hair stand on end. The next step is to hold the balloon over a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) to see it glow from the static electricity. Wow!

Learn more: Magic Light Bulb Balloon Science Experiment

15. Spin a penny round and round

In this simple experiment, students use kinetic energy and centripetal force to spin a penny inside a balloon. They’ll want to try other objects too, so hold a contest to see which spins the longest.

Learn more: The Spinning Penny

16. Fire up an air cannon

Discover the power of an air vortex with this easy DIY air cannon. To really understand how it works, use some incense to create visible smoke rings that will really impress your students.

Learn more: Air Cannon Smoke Ring

17. Create a working water fountain

See the power of air pressure when you build a balloon-activated water fountain. You’ll only need simple supplies like a plastic bottle, straw, and putty.

Learn more: Water Bottle Fountain

18. Explore the effects of hot and cold air

The concept of expansion and contraction of air can be hard to visualize. That’s where this experiment comes in to save the day. Watch the balloon expand and contract as the air around it changes temperature.

Learn more: Exploring the Effects of Hot and Cold Air

19. Fireproof a balloon

A balloon will obviously pop when touched to a hot flame, right? Not if you put some cold water in it first! Kids will be so amazed they won’t even realize they’re learning about the heat conductivity of water.

Learn more: Fireproof balloon

20. Experiment with balloons and pushpins

A pin pops a balloon in no time flat, so what happens when you place a balloon on a table full of them? Once again, the answer won’t be quite what your students expect until you explain the science of distributed pressure.

Learn more: Pinning a Balloon

Have more balloon experiments to add to the list? Come and share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our big list of easy science experiments .

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40 Easy Kindergarten Science Experiments for Hands-On Learning

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• homemade-hot-air-balloon

The Homemade Hot Air Balloon Experiment!

Your homemade hot air balloon won't fly into the air, I'm afraid...

but it will be a great chance to learn about how temperature makes air expand and is great fun too. 

Plus all you need is a balloon, plastic bottle and a pint glass to get started!

What Do I Need?

• A plastic bottle
• A pint glass

How Do I Do It?

STEP1  - Let's get going! Half fill your pint glass with very hot water. 

(Make sure you've got adult supervision for this one!)

STEP2   - Next up, pop your deflated balloon over the top of your bottle, as shown.

STEP3   - Now to fill your hot air balloon up! Submerge the bottle into the glass of hot water and now the waiting begins...

Slowly but surely your hot air balloon will start to fill up!

What’s Going On?

It's all to do with the expansion of air. 

When you first put the balloon over the top of the bottle the air inside is at regular air temperature. 

Once that bottle is submerged in the hot water the air inside the bottle starts to heat up. 

As the air gets hotter those air molecules get more and more energy and the air expands and blows up you hot air balloon!

More Fun Please! - Experiment Like A Real Scientist!

• Does the temperature of the water change how big your balloon gets?
• Does this experiment work again and again?
• What do you need to do to repeat this experiment?

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It's packed full of awesome experiments you can do at home with "stuff" you've already got. 

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SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

How to blow up a balloon with hot air.

Blowing up balloons is the low-tech activity you’ve been looking for

This animal is not on exhibit in the habitats.  It is one of our Animal Ambassadors and is used in public and school programs.

Download a PDF of this experiment

Blowing up a balloon with your kids might not seem like an exciting activity, but this project will let them have some fun while getting a science lesson on the side. They’ll never want to go back to playing video games again. Well, at least for an hour or so.

Use a balloon and a bottle to introduce your kids to thermal expansion and contraction, which is all around them. For example, the familiar ca-chunk that you feel driving on a bridge is actually the seams designed to allow the bridge to expand on hot days and shrink on cold days. Try this experiment with your kids to catch this phenomenon in a bottle! And not a screen in sight.

GATHER THIS:

• Empty bottle with narrow opening
• Hot Water (about half-and-half boiling water and hot tap water works great!)
• Optional: Thermometer

THEN DO THIS:

• Stretch the balloon over the opening of the bottle.
• Set up a cold-water bath and a hot-water bath by pouring several inches of ice water into one tub and several inches of hot water in the second tub.
• Encourage your child to feel both tubs and notice what they feel like. You can also use a thermometer to observe the differences between the two tubs.
• Put the bottle in the hot-water bath and push it down so the water rises up around the sides of the bottle. See what happens! Repeat this procedure in the cold-water bath. *trouble shooting: If nothing happens, try adjusting the temperature of the water by adding either more ice or more boiling water.
• What is inside of the bottle? Can the air escape?
• What happens to the air in the bottle when you put the bottle in hot/cold water?
• After experimenting a bit: How can you make the balloon blow up? Shrink?
• What do you predict will happen if we leave the bottle in the hot water for half an hour? Why?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

When you stretch the balloon over the opening of the bottle, all of the air is trapped inside. Putting the bottle in hot water causes the air molecules inside to heat up and begin taking up more space (thermal expansion), causing air to enter the balloon and inflate it. When you move the bottle into the cold water, the air molecules cool back down and take up less space (thermal contraction).

WHAT THIS TEACHES:

Skills: Cause & effect, observation

Themes: Thermal expansion & contraction, molecules

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Science Project Ideas

Tissue Paper Hot Air Balloon

A hot air balloon is something kids would love as a science project. Incorporating basic physical concepts, the step by step comes with valuable tips and ideas. It could be your go-to project at the next science fair. A handful of mini hot air balloons out of tissue paper could light up any gloomy skyline with gusto.

How to Make a Hot Air Balloon with Tissue Paper

The balloon is made of 7 gores of tissue paper. Each gore needs 2½ sheets of tissue paper. The gores can be of different colors or the same color. They can be decorated with colorful tissue paper scraps. The below procedure describes how the gores are stuck together, leaving holes at the bottom and the top. A string closes the top part while dry wall tape fixed at the bottom opening creates a throat allowing inflation.

• 18 sheets of tissue paper each of 20”X30” dimension
• 9 feet drywall tape
• Hair dryer or fan
• Balloon gore template pattern

Instructions

• Make a large rectangle approx. 75”X20” by gluing together the short ends of 2½ sheets.
• Repeat the above for 6 times resulting in a total of 7 rectangles.
• With the aid of the given pattern cut out 7 gores from the rectangles created above.
• Choose 2 Lay one over the other so that a ½” margin shows on the bottom gore.
• Apply glue on the aforesaid margin. Fold it over the edge and glue to set it firmly in place.
• Place gore 3 above gore 2 so that a ½” margin of the unglued side shows on gore Repeat gluing as mentioned in the previous step.
• Glue up the remaining gores in the accordion fashion mentioned above.
• Connect the free margins of gores 1 and 7 to join all the gores. This creates a circle when opened.

[ N.B. It is important to carefully separate all the folds to prevent them from sticking together]

• Use the string to tie the top of the balloon maintaining a distance of about 1” from the apex.
• Glue the pieces of drywall tape one atop the other to make a circle of approx. 12” diameter.
• Open a hole at the bottom of the balloon and fit the balloon panels by tucking and gluing them together.
• Put the tape ring inside the opening, fold paper over it for about 1” and glue it in place.
• Allow the balloon to dry fully. Check for loose edges and holes by employing the hair dryer or fan. If needed, use the glue and paper or tape to repair.

Launcher Directions

• Cut out both ends of 5 large juice cans.
• Take 1 more juice can and snip off its top. It serves as the base of the “smokestack”.
• Also, create a wedge-shaped opening at one side of the above can.
• Make 3 tiny evenly spaced holes around the tops and bottoms of all the cans.
• Thread small pieces of wire through those holes to arrange all the cans in a vertical stack.
• Wire a screen above the burner to prevent cinders from getting inside the balloon.
• Go to an open area devoid of utility wires, rooftops and trees and that has winds blowing at 5mph.
• Put fire to a lot of old crumpled newspaper at the bottom of the burner while 2 people hold the balloon at the top of it.
• When the tissue paper walls start feeling warm and the balloon tends to lift, set it free and watch it go up lazily in the air.

It would, in all probability soar for around 200 feet or more and then descend in a few minutes time.

Alternative

Instead of the burner, you can join two opposite points on the circumference of the base ring by a drywall tape strand and place a candle over it to fuel the hot air balloon.

Building a Hot Air Balloon from Tissue Paper: Video Tutorial

How does it work.

The fundamental principle behind the flying hot air balloon is density. The heat source warms the air above making it less dense. Hence, the air entering the balloon is lighter than that outside the balloon. We know that if a body is less dense, it floats in a denser fluid. If it is denser, it sinks. That is the reason behind the flight of the hot air balloon.

Tissue Paper Hot Air Balloon Designs

Here are a few other blueprints that you can choose from. The diagrams give the best shape to your project and help you build it easily. It is important to get the measurements right during the construction of the models. Kids can make small tissue paper hot air balloons in the lab and go to a field to launch them.

Another simple idea is to take 4 rectangular panels, glue them together to form a box-shaped structure and seal off the top with a square piece. So, what are you waiting for? Gather your supplies and engage yourselves in this fun project. The more the patterns of balloons you create, the merrier.

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Blow Up a Balloon with Warm Air Science Experiment

March 18, 2024 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

This simple science experimen t and demonstration is a great way to show children what happens to gases when they are heated.

The air around us is an example of a gas. Particles in a gas can move freely in any direction. Gases don’t have a fixed shape but fill the space they have.

When a bottle with a balloon on top is placed in hot water, the air inside warms up. Warm air particles move faster and with more energy than cooler air particles, increasing the volume of the air and inflating the balloon.

Hot and cold air balloon experiment

You’ll need.

One empty 500ml plastic bottle

Hot water and cold water

Instructions

Carefully place the balloon over the bottle opening. Check for holes. The balloon needs to be airtight.

Carefully half-fill one bowl with cold water and one bowl with hot water.

Place the bottle in the hot water bowl and watch as the balloon fills with air.

Transfer the bottle to the cold water bowl and watch as the balloon deflates.

Investigation ideas

Experiment with different water temperatures and record how long it takes for the balloon to inflate at each temperature. For this to be a fair test, you’ll need to make sure the air inside the bottle is at room temperature before placing it in each bowl of water.

Investigate to find out how long the balloon takes to deflate after being in different temperature waters for the same amount of time.

Why does the balloon blow up?

Placing the balloon over the top of the bottle traps the air inside. When the bottle is placed in hot water, the air inside heats up. Warm air molecules move faster than cooler air molecules. The warm, faster moving air expands and moves into the balloon, inflating it. The volume of the air in the bottle increases as it heats up.

As the air cools, the air molecules start to move more slowly and closer together. This means they take up less space, the volume decreases, and the balloon deflates.

Fun facts about air

The air we breathe contains about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon, neon, and methane.

Humidity is the amount of water air can hold before it rains.

Air pressure is the pressure is the pressure of air pushing down on the Earth’s surface.

The air around us also carries small particles of dust, pollen and pollutants from car exhausts and other sources.

We need air to breathe!

Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

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Science Fun

Expanding Air Balloon Science Experiment

In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate air by making a balloon expand and contract. 

• Two containers – each needs to be big enough to hold a two liter soda bottle
• 2 liter soda bottle

Instructions:

• Fill one container with hot water from the tap. Please do not use boiling water.
• Fill the other container with ice and then add cold water.
• Blow up the balloon and stretch it out to make it flexible.
• Now, place the stretched out balloon over the mouth of the soda bottle.
• Place the battle in the hot water and watch the balloon slowly start to expand.
• Now, remove the bottle from the hot water and place it in the ice container. The balloon will deflate and contract.
• Repeat as many times as you like!

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As the air molecules inside the balloon are heated up, they expand and inflate the balloon. In contrast, as the air molecules are cooled, they condense and become more compact and deflate the balloon. 

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Hot Air Balloon Experiment is a simple science experiment to teach kids about the concept of warm air and cold air. Through an easy activity, using an empty bottle, a deflated balloon and hot water, kids will learn how and why air expands when it is heated up. This concept will also help them to understand the mechanism behind hot air balloons. Kids will be introduced to a new scientific term- molecules. Adult supervision is recommended to carry out this activity.

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GENERAL COMMENTARY article

Commentary: the circulatory effects of increased hydrostatic pressure due to immersion and submersion.

This article is a commentary on:

The Circulatory Effects of Increased Hydrostatic Pressure Due to Immersion and Submersion

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• 1 EA3920 Prognostic Factors and Regulatory Factors of Cardiac and Vascular Pathologies, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
• 2 Department of Physiology and Functional Testing, University Hospitals of Besançon, EA3920 Prognostic Factors and Regulatory Factors of Cardiac and Vascular Pathologies, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
• 3 Underwater Research Team (ERRSO), Military Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Toulon, France
• 4 UPR 66312 Human Motricity and Sport Health Expertise Laboratory (LAHMES), Azur Coast Nice University, Nice, France
• 5 EA3920 Prognostic Factors and Regulatory Factors of Cardiac and Vascular Pathologies, Exercise Performance Health Innovation (EPHI) Platform, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
• 6 Division for Physical Education, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk Oblast, Russia

A Commentary on The Circulatory Effects of Increased Hydrostatic Pressure Due to Immersion and Submersion

by Weenink, R. P., and Wingelaar, T. T. (2021). Front. Physiol. 12:699493. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.699493

We noted with interest the article by Weenink and Wingelaar published last July in Frontiers in Physiology ( Weenink and Wingelaar, 2021 ). However, reading the abstract and the article was largely disappointing. We cannot agree with many statements made by the authors. In our opinion, their analysis of the physiological responses to immersion lacks precision in physical and physiological evidence presented, and cannot support the actual mechanisms underlying their findings.

One cannot assert with certainty that buoyancy reduces movement of fluid from the vascular to extracellular compartment. Also, the authors suggest that the hydrostatic force does not exert a compressive force on the body and this is not correct. In a fluid (liquid or gas), hydrostatic pressure acts in every direction on the sheath of the immersed object (or body). Buoyancy results from the upward force experienced by the whole object according to both the volume of fluid displaced and the difference between densities of the object/body and the fluid. For example, a hot air balloon gets buoyancy from the atmospheric (hydrostatic) pressure due to the lower density of the inner volume than the same atmospheric volume outside.

However, the “Archimedes principle” operating on the entire immersed human body does not exert any buoyancy effect inside the vascular network where gravity still acts on blood exactly as when outside water. In an upright position an immersed subjects' pulmonary tissue is still less distended in the base of the lungs which supports the whole lung weight than in the apex. X-Ray evidence of immersion pulmonary œdema appears in different lung areas that relates to the subject's position during the œdema development ( Hårdstedt et al., 2020 ; Castagna et al., 2021 ). Similarly, degrees of lung ventilation and perfusion are known to change with subject's position in lying patients. Further, during immersion “Archimedes buoyancy” roughly equilibrates the weight of human body, but does not suppress gravitational effects. Thus, while the “weightlessness” sensed during immersion arises from this buoyancy, the immersed cardiovascular physiology remains different from cardiovascular physiology during real microgravity in orbit. Even though thoracic blood volume is increased under both conditions, in spacecrafts no external body compression operates nor does hydrostatic pressure ( Regnard et al., 2001 ; Prisk, 2011 ). Relying simply on the word “weightlessness” is confusing in the context of a purposely comprehensive article.

Hydrostatic pressure is very much a compressing force able to squeeze compliant vessels and reduce total vascular capacity, which in an emerged state amounts to nearly five times the blood volume. Blood flow and volume are allocated to various parts of the vascular network according to circumstances: resting supine or upright, leg or arm exercising… Gradually increasing immersion exposure from the feet to the neck progressively reduces total vascular capacity ( Koubenec et al., 1978 ). The compression by hydrostatic pressure and the accompanying displacement of blood volume immediately shifts this volume upon squeezing the leg and trunk vessels inducing enlarged heart chambers and an increased central venous pressure ( Risch et al., 1978 ; Johansen et al., 1992 , 1995 , 1997 ). Likewise pneumatic anti-shock garments and g-suits compress and increase cardiac preload ( Regnard et al., 1990 ; Gilbert et al., 1991 ). Similar reduction of vascular capacitance and displacement of blood volume are not produced when people are placed in dry hyperbaric chambers. Three bars in compressed air does not compress leg and thigh vessels nor increase heart dimension by even one tenth of a bar in water. Upright water immersion up to heart level creates a hydrostatic pressure around the ankle of e.g., 125 cm H 2 O or 90 mmHg, which roughly equals hydrostatic pressure in the body blood column (at the ankle level). In air the ankle skin is subjected to an external atmospheric pressure of 0.11 mmHg higher that at the heart level (800 times lower than the internal hydrostatic pressure), and in compressed air at a 3-bar pressure, the external atmospheric pressure at the ankle is only 0.34 mmHg higher than at heart level. Hydrostatic pressure applied to the skin is transmitted by tissues of grossly hydric density (hence little compressible as skin, muscles, liver, kidney…) at the adventitial side of vessels to exert a squeezing effect. Because room is available in other parts of the vascular network (pelvic, mesenteric, lung…), blood is shifted in more or less incompletely filled vessels. This shift of blood volume operates no matter the position, i.e., independently of gravity direction relative to the body. Quite similar pulmonary and heart engorgement occurs in upright and supine immersed subjects, as reflected in the autonomic nervous system adjustments in heart rate and vasomotor tone ( Bahjaoui-Bouhaddi et al., 2000 ; Mourot et al., 2007 , 2008 ). A cold-triggered vasoconstriction can be added without or with face cooling ( Mourot et al., 2008 ).

The external hydrostatic pressure changes the transmural pressure in vessel walls, which in capillaries and venules affect microvascular filtration between the vascular and interstitial spaces. In governing these exchanges gravity controls blood pressure (hydrostatic pressure) differently from interstitial pressure (e.g., with postural changes), leading to microvascular filtration or conversely plasma reabsorption ( Hagan et al., 1978 ). The time constant of transmural fluid exchange is much higher than that of blood displacement across vascular beds. Thus, upon immersion the rapid (about 1 s time constant) increase in thoracic blood volume results from arrival of blood from the compressed legs and thigh muscles and then from the abdominal vessels ( Risch et al., 1978 ; Regnard et al., 1990 ; Johansen et al., 1997 ). The much slower increase in plasma volume (hemodilution) is due to reabsorption of interstitial and intracellular fluids, largely in the lower limbs ( Greenleaf et al., 1980 ; Johansen et al., 1992 , 1997 ; Pendergast et al., 2015 ). The “Perspective” article by Weeninck and Wingelaar missed the pivotal distinction between rapid blood translocation between vascular beds ( Risch et al., 1978 ; Gilbert et al., 1991 ), and the much slower (and long lasting) interstitial fluid reabsorption from extravascular space that leads to the increased urine output ( Johansen et al., 1992 , 1997 ; Castagna et al., 2013 ).

After firstly dismissing any hydrostatic compression effect and suggesting buoyancy is at play, the authors then rely on the compressive effect of “tight fitting suits” to make their arguments. It is of note that the pressure exerted by elastic neoprene suit has been accurately measured ( Castagna et al., 2013 ) and yes hydrostatic pressure acts as elastic stocking ( Tipton et al., 2017 ) and can reduce microvascular filtration or induce interstitial fluid reabsorption ( Johansen et al., 1997 ).

The analysis of immersed lung mechanics improperly refers to Pascal's Law, which operates on incompressible fluids, not on lung gas spaces. The miscellaneous discussion (section “Additional factors to consider”) is inaccurate regarding the data presently available ( Wilmshurst et al., 1989 ; Castagna et al., 2018 ; Wilmshurst, 2019 ). It is not true that after immersed cooling a subject is in a vasoplegic state. In fact the reduction in large cold-induced arterial and venous vasoconstrictive tone occurs over several hours ( Robinet et al., 2006 ; Boussuges et al., 2009 ; Florian et al., 2013 ; Riera et al., 2014 ). Yes removing the squeezing effect of hydrostatic pressure precipitate rescue collapse ( Lloyd, 1992 ).

As presented in the paper several physical or physiological concepts are misleadingly described and some related statements are therefore uninformative and difficult to accept. Quoted as they were, these perspectives had to be cautiously considered. Much recent factual evidence is not considered. Main physiological effects of immersion are sometimes too simply explained adding confusion and bordering on misleading. All this can putatively detract from a clear understanding for the readers.

Author Contributions

JR wrote the first draft. MB, OC, and LM added contributions and revised the manuscript. The final version was approved by all authors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Weenink, R. P., and Wingelaar, T. T. (2021). The circulatory effects of increased hydrostatic pressure due to immersion and submersion. Front. Physiol. 12:699493. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.699493

Wilmshurst, P. T. (2019). Immersion pulmonary oedema: a cardiological perspective. Diving Hyperb. Med. 49, 30–40. doi: 10.28920/dhm49.1.30-40

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Keywords: immersion, gravity, hydrostatic pressure, Pascal's Law, blood reallocation, fluid movements

Citation: Regnard J, Bouhaddi M, Castagna O and Mourot L (2022) Commentary: The Circulatory Effects of Increased Hydrostatic Pressure Due to Immersion and Submersion. Front. Physiol. 13:830759. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.830759

Received: 07 December 2021; Accepted: 03 January 2022; Published: 27 January 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Regnard, Bouhaddi, Castagna and Mourot. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Jacques Regnard, jacques.regnard@univ-fcomte.fr

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Olympics | The story behind Paris’ Olympics cauldron…

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Olympics | The story behind Paris’ Olympics cauldron balloon: ‘An explosion of love like this one was impossible to foresee’

The balloon, lit by the Olympic torch and set off into the sky, was a risk. After all, it was the first time it had ever been tested in its entirety, Lehanneur told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Some parts, like the balloon or the flame system, had been tested to ensure a smooth flight, but — with so much secrecy — never all together, making the balloon a bit of an Olympic-sized Hail Mary. So when the golden balloon lit up the Paris skies, the cherry on top of Friday’s opening ceremony, it dazzled spectators . As the French designer watched in awe, the world watched with him.

“The most important thing for me is that I discovered the finished cauldron at the same time as everyone else,” said Lehanneur, who also designed the Olympic Torch.

For the first time in the history of the Games, the cauldron — a 7-meter (23-feet) diameter ring of fire supported by a giant air balloon — flew through the air. His idea, inspired by the ancient Greek Olympic flame ceremony, was to represent freedom — one of the three words in the French national motto: “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.”

“It’s the first time that there is a cauldron like this, the first time that there is a cauldron that flies and the first time that there is an Olympic flame that is not a real flame. There were many many firsts,” said Lehanneur. “There were many challenges.”

The first hot air balloon flight in history was carried out by the Montgolfier brothers at Versailles in 1783. So for Lehanneur, it made perfect sense to design a hot air balloon when he won the design competition and was awarded what he thinks it’s the most important project of his career so far.

But the prize-winning French designer didn’t want to indulge in nostalgia: He envisioned an innovative, contemporary balloon.

Also for this reason, and for the first time too, the flame isn’t real, but one made of water and light, not needing fossil fuels to shine. What Lehanneur could have never imagined, though, is the incredible success the cauldron had during and after the opening ceremony.

So much so that now Parisians are collecting signatures to make the balloon, which sits on the ground during the day and rises each evening, a permanent monument in the City of Lights — just like the Eiffel Tower, which was supposed to only be a temporary construction for the 1889 World Expo in Paris.

“It’s like an experiment: You put some emotion, some pride, you find a good place, you dose all the elements and you wait, but an explosion of love like this one was impossible to foresee,” Lehanneur told the AP.

On Monday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even said she wanted to keep the cauldron after the Games.

To the wonder of hundreds of people, the cauldron flies more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries gardens from sunset until 2 a.m. The launch zone site is near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron. Every evening hundreds of Parisians sit in the gardens and wait for the show to begin, and their golden hour selfie be taken.

Like Aline Le Quere, a French businesswoman from Paris, who thinks the flame is very original.

“It’s super modern and so really representative of the city of Paris. I adore it.”

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