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Created 3/29/16. Updates available online.

Balloons & Buoyancy

Balloons & Buoyancy Screenshot
  • Gas
  • Buoyancy

About

Topics

  • Gas
  • Buoyancy

Description

Experiment with a helium balloon, a hot air balloon, or a rigid sphere filled with different gases. Discover what makes some balloons float and others sink.

Sample Learning Goals

  • Determine what causes the the balloon, rigid sphere, and helium balloon to rise up or fall down in the box.
  • Predict how changing a variable among P, V, T, and number influences the motion of the balloons.
Version 3.15

For Teachers

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Title Gold Star Contribution Contribution by PhET Authors Level Type
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 HW
CQs
Lab
Demo
Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro HW
Balloons and Bouyancy: An Introduction to Bouyancy - (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Lab
Balloons and Buoyancy : How do gases in different containers behave in gases fluids? A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 CQs
Lab
Hot Air Balloons Lesson A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. UTeach Middle School PhET Team MS Lab
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain HS
UG-Intro		 Other
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Other
Gas Properties and Balloons & Buoyancy Simulations Homework This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman HS
UG-Intro		 HW
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS		 Other
Gas Law Brad Palmer HS Lab
풍선과 부력 SIM 사용지침서 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) MS
HS		 Lab
Demo
Gas Relationships and Buoyancy Patrick Foley HS CQs
High School Exploratory Lab for Balloons and Static Electricity paul devoe HS Lab
Buoyancy and Balloons Adrian Carmichael HS Lab

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Translations

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqipe Run now Balona dhe Pluskues
Arabic All العربية Run now المناطيد والطفو
Arabic (Saudi Arabia) All العربية (السعودية) Run now المناطيد والطفو
Armenian All Armenian Run now Փուչիկներ և լողունություն
Basque All Basque Run now Globoak eta flotagarritasuna
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Уласцівасці газу
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now GASNI ZAKONI
Catalan All català Run now Globus i flotabilitat
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 气球和浮力
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now 氣球和浮力
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Plinski Zakoni
Czech All čeština Run now Balóny a Archimedův zákon
Danish All Dansk Run now Balloner og opdrift
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Ballonnen en opwaartse kracht
Estonian All Eesti Run now Õhupallid & üleslõkkejõud
Finnish All suomi Run now Ilmapallot ja noste
French All français Run now Ballons et Flottabilité
Galician All Gallegan Run now Balóns e Flotabilidade
Georgian All Georgian Run now ბალონები და ამომგდები ძალა
German All Deutsch Run now Ballons & Auftrieb
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Μπαλόνια & Άνωση
Haitian All Haitian Run now Balon ak flotezon
Hebrew All עברית Run now בלונים וציפה
Hungarian All magyar Run now Léggömbök és felhajtóerő
Indonesian All Bahasa Indonesia Run now Balon dan Gaya Apung
Italian All italiano Run now palloni e galleggiamento
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 風船と浮力
Kannada All Kannada Run now ಬಲೂನುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ಲವನತೆ
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Әуе шардың & малтығыштқы
Khmer All Khmer Run now បាឡុង និង​ការ​អណ្ដែត
Korean All 한국어 Run now 풍선과 부력
Lao All Lao Run now ໝາກ​ປຸມ​ເປົ້າ & ການ​ລ່ອຍ​ຕົວ
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Baloni un atsišanās
Macedonian All македонски Run now Закони на идеален гас
Maori All Maori Run now Poihau & Rewanga
Marathi All मराठी Run now फुगा आणि प्लावकता
Moldavian All Moldavian Run now Balloons & Buoyancy
Mongolian All Mongolian Run now сав ба чадал
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Ballonger og oppdrift
Persian All فارسی Run now بادکنک ها و شناوری
Polish All polski Run now Balony i siła wyporu
Portuguese All português Run now Balões e Flutuação
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Balões e Empuxo
Romanian All română Run now Baloane şi plutirea
Russian All русский Run now Воздушные шары и подъёмная сила
Serbian All Српски Run now ГАСНИ ЗАКОНИ
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Balóny a vztlak
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Balon in vzgon
Spanish All español Run now Globos y flotación
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Globos y Flotabilidad
Swedish All svenska Run now Ballonger & bärkraft
Thai All ไทย Run now บัลลูนกับการลอยตัว
Tswana All Tswana Run now Gase e e seng ya Nnete & Bueyensi (Ideal Gas & Buoyancy)
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Balonlar ve Uçuculuk
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Şarlar we ýüzüjilik
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Bong bóng và Sự nổi

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Ron LeMaster (developer)
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
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