Buoyant Force - AP Physics 2

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Question

How large would a balloon filled with helium need to be in order to lift a man? The density of helium is . The density of air is . The mass of the balloon is negligible.

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Answer

The minimum size of the ballon will exert a buoyant force exactly equal to the gravitational force:

Now we have to be careful. The mass is not just the mass of the man, but it includes the mass of the helium, as well. Canceling the 's and using subscripts to be careful:

The mass of the helium is its density times its volume:

Rearrange and solve for :

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