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Shouldn't the air pressure crush them until the density inside equals the density outside? Why does helium balloon behave so differently from a vacuum-filled balloon?

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[-] irishPotato@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Not my area of expertise but density is the wrong concept to be looking into remaining equal, its pressure. The amount of helium gas you pump in to the balloon creates a certain outward pressure that’s at equilibrium with outside air pressure, that’s why it doesn’t collapse (if you were to place the balloon in a vacuum then it would expand and probably burst, that’s usually what happens when a child loses one and it escapes higher up in the atmosphere to lower pressures)

The atmospheric pressure simply isn’t strong enough to overcome the outward pressure.

Bonus point: density is actually the reason why a helium balloon floats, its less dense than air so it wants to float up. Much like a rubber duck or ice cube in water.

this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2025
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