a weather balloon filled with gas is released and rises into the atmosphere. as it rises, the balloon__.
a) gets smaller because air pressure outside the balloon increases
b) gets smaller because gas pressure inside the balloon decreases
c) doesnt change size
d)gets larger because gas pressure inside increases and air pressure outside decreases
e) gets larger because the gas pressure inside stays the same while outside air pressure decreases
What do you think and why?
To determine what happens to a weather balloon as it rises into the atmosphere, we need to understand the relationship between gas pressure, air pressure, and the size of the balloon.
As a weather balloon ascends, it moves into regions of the atmosphere where the air pressure decreases. This decrease in air pressure affects the size of the balloon. The gas inside the balloon expands to fill the decreased pressure, causing the balloon to get larger. Therefore, the correct answer is:
e) gets larger because the gas pressure inside stays the same while outside air pressure decreases.
As the balloon rises into regions of lower air pressure, the gas inside the balloon will expand until the internal pressure matches the external pressure. This expansion causes the balloon to increase in size. Conversely, if the balloon were to descend into regions of higher air pressure, the higher external pressure would compress the gas inside, causing the balloon to shrink.
It is important to understand the concept of Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume at a constant temperature. As the air pressure decreases at higher altitudes, the volume (size) of the balloon will increase to maintain equilibrium with the outside pressure.