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Q8 (IAS/2003) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Thermal physics Answer Verified

A hydrogen-inflated polythene balloon is released from the surface of the earth. As the balloon rises to an altitude up in the atmosphere, it will

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

As the polythene balloon ascends the ambient (atmospheric) pressure falls; for a fixed amount of gas the ideal gas law (PV = nRT) implies that a decrease in external pressure leads to an increase in gas volume (so the balloon expands) . High‑altitude balloon design explicitly assumes this expansion — balloons are treated as inflating to much larger volumes at low pressures and are often made to accommodate that change [1]. Practical experience and technical reports note that free‑expanding polyethylene/weather balloons increase in size with altitude and can eventually burst if the material limit is reached [2]. Thus the balloon will increase in size as it rises, until limited by the film strength or valve design .

Sources

  1. [1] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/designing_a_high_altitude.htm
  2. [2] https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA064126.pdf
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