Up, up, and away!You read in "Lift Off!" (p. 12) that one cubic meter Noun 1. cubic meter - a metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 1000 liters cubic metre, kiloliter, kilolitre metric capacity unit - a capacity unit defined in metric terms of helium helium (hē`lēəm), gaseous chemical element; symbol He; at. no. 2; at. wt. 4.0026; m.p. below −272°C; at 26 atmospheres pressure; b.p. −268.934°C; at 1 atmosphere pressure; density 0. has enough buoyant Buoyant The term used to describe a commodities market where the prices generally rise with ease when there are considerable signals of strength. Notes: These types of markets can be very volatile as the prices are rapid to rise and fall with investor sentiment. force to lift about 1 kilogram kilogram, abbr. kg, fundamental unit of mass in the metric system, defined as the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram, a platinum-iridium cylinder kept at Sèvres, France, near Paris. (2.2 pounds). Now, with a few simple calculations, you can figure out how many balloons you'll need to lift some everyday objects. YOU NEED: 10 helium-filled party balloons A party balloon is a little unmanned hot air balloon. For amusement, people let these small balloons fly at a party; they can be seen from some distance and are therefore suitable to mark the venue of the party. (with strings attached) * meter stick * calculator calculator or calculating machine, device for performing numerical computations; it may be mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic. The electronic computer is also a calculator but performs other functions as well. * scale (a digital model with high sensitivity works best) * paper clip * pencil * rubber band * ruler * desk PART A: Calculate the volume of gas in a party balloon How much helium is helium I n. Liquid helium existing as a normal fluid between the superfluid transition point of approximately 2.2°K at 1 atmosphere pressure and its boiling point of 4.2°K. in a party balloon? Since this type of balloon is small, it can't hold a lot of helium. If you calculate its volume in cubic meters, you'll wind up with a lot of decimal places decimal place n. The position of a digit to the right of a decimal point, usually identified by successive ascending ordinal numbers with the digit immediately to the right of the decimal point being first: . To make things easier, for this activity you'll be using liters instead of cubic meters. One liter of helium, which is one thousandth of a cubic meter, can lift 1 gram. Your balloon probably has a funny shal0e. But to simplify the calculation, we "still call it a perfect sphere. Here's the formula to calculate the volume of a sphere: V = 4/3 x [pi] x r x r x r (Hint: [pi] [approximately equal to] 3.14 and r = radius of the sphere) Don't panic
Don't panic may refer to:
1. Measure the diameter, or the distance from one side of a circle to the other side, of your balloon in centimeters. (Hint: Measure at the middle of the balloon, at its fattest part.) Diameter = --centimeters 2. Calculate the radius of your balloon: r = diameter / 2 Answer: r = cm 3. Use a calculator to find the balloon's volume: V = 4/3 x [pi] x r x r x r Answer: V = --cubic cm 4. Now convert that volume into liters: (answer from Step 3) / 1,000 (Reason: 1,000 cubic cm is equal to 1 liter.) Answer: V = --liters PART B: Calculate how many balloons are needed to lift some everyday objects Now that you know how many liters a balloon holds, you can calculate how many balloons you will need to lift any object. 1. Collect the following objects from your classroom: paper clip, pencil, rubber band, ruler. Then, create a data table. (See SW9/19/2005 for help.) 2. Guess how many balloons you would need to lift each object. Record your guesses in the table. 3. Weigh each object, and record the data in the table. 4. Using the calculated volume of a balloon and the rule that 1 liter of helium can lift 1 gram, calculate how many balloons are needed to lift each object. Number of balloons = weight (grams) / (answer from Step 4, Part A) 5. Record your calculations in the table. 6. Test your calculations. Tie balloons one by one to each object until it lifts off your desk. 7. You probably don't have room in your classroom for the thousands of balloons that it would take to lift a hefty object such as a race car. But you can still calculate how many you would need to lift them. Calculate to find out how many balloons you would need to lift a * 2,259 g (5 lb) bag of potatoes: * 5,443 g (12 lb) bowling ball: * 1,542 kg (3,400 lb) NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. race car: CONCLUSIONS: Did your calculations of the number of balloons needed to lift the objects in your classroom match how many were actually needed to lift each object? If not, what factors might have affected your results? DON'T STOP NOW: How many party balloons would it take for you to lift off? (Calculate, but do not try!) ANSWERS Answers will vary. They are determined by the size of the helium balloons. |
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