Buoyancy in Air

PHY 100 & 103

Archimedes Principle and the standard textbook density of helium (corrected for current temperature & pressure) are used along with the experimentally determined mass and volume of a helium filled balloon to determine the density of air.

Equipment

Notes

String should be roughly one arm's length (~1m) long. Also, please use the cheapest common white string. Balloons must be at least 12 inch diameter type.

The room must be equipped with a box of large and a box of small paper clips placed on the back counter, and there must be direct access to a helium/neon tank with balloon nozzle. An assortment of slotted masses, barometer, and thermometer should already be present in each room.
The following items should be put on the small stainless-metal cart in the room: small fish tank with attached pulley, three plastic water bottles, bucket of misc balls, crystal model (rigid), and Newton spring scale. The fish tank is in the demonstration room (JE-113A) and contains the three bottles, one empty, one with water, one with sand.