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Physics

Explain the following:

A toy balloon filled with hydrogen rises to the ceiling, but if filled with carbon dioxide sinks to the floor.

Fluids Upthrust

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Answer

When a light gas like hydrogen (density much less than that of air) is filled in a balloon, the weight of air displaced by the inflated balloon (i.e., upthrust) becomes more than weight of the gas filled and it rises up.

However, reverse happens when the balloon is filled with a heavier gas like carbon dioxide (i.e., the weight of air displaced by the inflated balloon (i.e., upthrust) becomes less than weight of the gas filled and hence, the balloon sinks to the bottom.)

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