| Have you heard about the Pixar movie | | | | is lighter than air. Case in point: if you were to fill |
| “Up”? There’s a movie that dares to | | | | two soda pop bottles with helium and another with |
| tackle the very real issue of: should you escape | | | | air, the one containing helium would weight a lot less |
| society by way of a thousand helium balloons? | | | | than the air bottle. |
| What is the truth about helium anyway? Helium | | | | Wait a minute, hydrogen is lighter than helium. Why |
| balloons are balloons that have been filled with helium, | | | | don’t people use that to fill balloons? They do |
| a certain type of gas. Helium is the most popular | | | | sometimes, but helium balloons are usually preferred |
| type of floating balloon, but it’s not necessarily | | | | because they are not as flammable a substance as |
| the only kind. Any balloon that is filled with a gas | | | | hydrogen. If you’re using with hydrogen, know |
| less dense than air or lighter than air will float. Only | | | | that even the slightest spark could set off an |
| air balloons will remain stagnant. | | | | explosion. This is what caused the notorious |
| Are the stereotypes of balloon home relocation and | | | | Hindenburg disaster. |
| airborne bicycling really true? Even helium balloons | | | | As for as what helium looks like? Nothing. Nor |
| can be affected by external factors like strong | | | | does it have color, an odor, a taste or any identifiable |
| winds, weather and climate so don’t try any | | | | features. Helium is produced from natural gas wells |
| blast-off experiments at home. Exaggerated though | | | | where it is extracted from the crude natural gas |
| movies might be the fact of the matter is that gas | | | | stream and purified. At this point helium can be |
| balloons do float and do have the stability to carry a | | | | stored and shipped for consumer use, and in either |
| crew of people. After all, blimps are a form of gas | | | | gas or liquid form. |
| balloon. (Though zeppelins are not; they are a type | | | | You can order helium balloons online and for a |
| of rigid airship) | | | | discounted price. Buy balloons in bulk and make sure |
| Science says that just as the heaviest things fall | | | | the party gets started right, with a bunch of colorful |
| down, so anything lighter than air has the tendency | | | | and magical balloons to welcome those kids (young |
| to rise. Since helium weighs 0.1785 grams per liter, it | | | | and old) to the festivities! |