What will you discover?
Aarav explains what happens to the air inside a balloon and why it slowly shrinks.
Key takeaways
- Air is made of particles that are always moving.
- A stretched balloon has microscopic gaps that let those particles out.
- Air pushing outwards from inside is what keeps a balloon full.
- Helium balloons shrink faster because helium particles are even smaller.
Questions this video answers
Why does a helium balloon deflate faster?
Helium particles are smaller than the nitrogen and oxygen particles in ordinary air, so they slip through the rubber more easily.
Does a balloon shrink faster in the cold?
Yes. Cold air particles move more slowly and take up less space, so a balloon looks smaller outdoors on a cold morning.
Take the learning further
Blow up two balloons. Keep one indoors and one in a cool place. Measure them with a string each morning for three days and see which shrinks faster.
