Two similar ballon are filled with gas. One with hydrogen and the other with oxygen. Which one will go down first and why?
To determine which balloon will go down first, we need to consider a few factors: the density of the gases, the buoyant force acting on the balloons, and the molar masses of hydrogen and oxygen.
The density of a gas is directly related to its molar mass. The higher the molar mass, the denser the gas.
Hydrogen has a molar mass of approximately 2 g/mol, while oxygen has a molar mass of about 32 g/mol. Since the molar mass of oxygen is greater than that of hydrogen, it means that oxygen is denser than hydrogen.
When a balloon is filled with a gas, it experiences buoyant force, which is the upward force exerted on an object immersed in a fluid (in this case, the air). The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the balloon.
Since oxygen is denser than hydrogen, the same volume of oxygen gas will weigh more than the same volume of hydrogen gas. This means that the buoyant force acting on the oxygen-filled balloon will be less than the buoyant force acting on the hydrogen-filled balloon.
Therefore, the hydrogen-filled balloon will experience a greater upward buoyant force compared to the oxygen-filled balloon. Consequently, the hydrogen-filled balloon will go up faster, while the oxygen-filled balloon will go down quicker due to the smaller upward force acting on it compared to the hydrogen-filled balloon.
In conclusion, the hydrogen-filled balloon will go down first because it experiences a greater buoyant force than the oxygen-filled balloon.