Question

Based on your observations from the Can Crush Lab, why would a helium balloon that rises into the atmosphere eventually burst?

Atmospheric pressure outside the balloon increases as the balloon rises.
Atmospheric pressure outside the balloon decreases as the balloon rises.
Helium molecules inside the balloon decrease as the balloon rises.
Helium molecules inside the balloon increase as the balloon rises.

Answer 1

A helium balloon will burst when it rises into the atmosphere because atmospheric pressure decreases as the balloon rises.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on your observations from the Can Crush Lab, a helium balloon that rises into the atmosphere will eventually burst because atmospheric pressure outside the balloon decreases as the balloon rises.

According to Boyle's Law, as the balloon gains altitude and moves to regions of lower pressure, the volume of the gas inside the balloon increases. This increase in volume eventually causes the balloon to burst due to the expansion of the gas.

The decrease in atmospheric pressure outside the balloon causes the helium molecules inside the balloon to move farther apart, putting more pressure on the walls of the balloon and ultimately leading to its burst.

Answer 2

Outside of the balloon, air increasing pressure even as balloon grows.

Step-by-step explanation:

The volume of the air increased with increase in ambient height, meaning that the amount of air molecules per unit area decreases. The pressure placed by the air is therefore decreased due to this decrease in air density.