Question

When a helium balloon rises in the air, it expands. If the volume of the balloon doubles, which claim describes what happens to the density of the helium inside it?

A) The density of helium increases.
B) The density of helium decreases.
C) The density of helium remains constant.
D) The density of helium cannot be determined from the given information.

Answer 1

The density of the helium inside the balloon decreases when its volume doubles since density is inversely proportional to volume when mass remains constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a helium balloon rises in the air and its volume doubles, the density of the helium inside it decreases. Density is defined as mass per unit volume, and since the mass of the helium does not change significantly as the balloon ascends but the volume doubles, the density, therefore, is halved. This is consistent with the general principle in physics where the density of a fluid (or gas in this case) decreases as its volume increases under conditions where mass is constant or negligibly changed.