Hot Air Balloons

Have you ever cpntemplated why a hot air balloon rises? Well, a simplified answer can relate to either density or the principle of buoyancy.

Air pressure and density in terms of surrounding air are very similar. It is very similar to stacking books on top of each other. The book at the bottom will have more pressure being applied to it than that of the book on top. This is similar to density in the air. As the carbon dioxide from the flames makes its way into the balloon, the balloon inflates. The air going inside the balloon is in a sense "lighter" than that of the air outside of the balloon. The air inside the balloon therefor has "less" density, and therefor rises up.

The Principle of Buoyancy relates to hot air balloons in terms of displacement. As the warm air rushes into the balloon; colder and slower air is released out. Warmer air has faster moving particles, and since air consists of gases, then these particles are spaced out. As the colder air is displaced, the balloon will reach a certain point of equalibrium (this being when the balloon has displaced the same quantity of air in which was inserted into the balloon). Once this equalibrium is breached, and more air is displaced, the balloon will be consumed be larger amounts of faster moving particles. These faster, warmer particles will then cause the balloon to rise. Similar to the controversial saying of "warm air rises", the less dense air will cause the balloon to rise.

Any questions? Probably.

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