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Balloons & Buoyancy

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.

 
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Version 3.10
2206 KB
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Topics Teaching Ideas Software Requirements Translated Versions Credits

Topics

Main Topics

  • Gas
  • Buoyancy

Related Topics

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.

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Teaching Ideas

Tips for Teachers

There is no teacher's guide for this simulation.

Ideas and Activities for this Sim

There are 2 contributions listed.

Ascending Sort (Z-A)Title Author Level Type Updated
Buoyancy and Balloons A. CarmichaelHSLab4/08
Gas Properties and Balloons & Buoyancy Simulations Homework Designed by PhET IconK. PerkinsHS
UG-Intro		HW11/08

Submit Your Ideas & Activities

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Software Requirements

Java Icon

Windows Systems Macintosh Systems Linux Systems
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

 OS 10.4.11 or later
Apple Java 1.5.0_19 or later

 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

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Translated Versions

Run localized Download
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Chinese Taiwan Chinese, Taiwan Download
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Credits

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