Helium Balloons

[Lindsey]

I bought a balloon bouquet on Tuesday. Life happened and we didn't make it to the hospital on Tuesday. We are headed to see the intended recipient in a few hours, but the balloons are all half deflated. Does anyone know a way I can get the balloons to look fully inflated again, or am I better off spending my time & money to go get something else?

[luctor-et-emergo]

I bought a balloon bouquet on Tuesday. Life happened and we didn't make it to the hospital on Tuesday. We are headed to see the intended recipient in a few hours, but the balloons are all half deflated. Does anyone know a way I can get the balloons to look fully inflated again, or am I better off spending my time & money to go get something else?

Unless you have a cylinder of helium laying around I'd say your chances are slim. Congratulations though !

[willwash]

If these are mylar balloons, nothing will work in the long run...it's all about pv=nRt, and n, the number of moles of helium in the balloons, is constantly decreasing through diffusion. The only way to reinflate them would be to increase n by adding more helium (or any other gas for that matter) or t (the temperature of the gas in the balloons), or to decrease p (the surrounding barometric pressure) or v (the volume occupied by the balloons, i.e. make them smaller--that might work with a creatively placed dab of superglue and tightly rolling up the bottom of the balloon).

There are several things that would theoretically reinflate the balloons, but none are practical. If you could lower the barometric pressure of the hospital room, the balloons will inflate. If you could heat the balloons, they would temporarily reinflate. If they are rubber balloons you could carefully untie them and blow in regular air, but then they won't be as buoyant and will probably sink.

[Lindsey]

Thanks guys! I better get moving and get out to the store.

No Congratulations. My week has been filled with "condolence" and "get well soons". :/

[Henry Rogue]

Informative post. I was going to say, use mylar ballons instead of latex and that helium leaks out of latex ballons faster than it leaks out of mylar.

If these are mylar balloons, nothing will work in the long run...it's all about pv=nRt, and n, the number of moles of helium in the balloons, is constantly decreasing through diffusion. The only way to reinflate them would be to increase n by adding more helium (or any other gas for that matter) or t (the temperature of the gas in the balloons), or to decrease p (the surrounding barometric pressure) or v (the volume occupied by the balloons, i.e. make them smaller--that might work with a creatively placed dab of superglue and tightly rolling up the bottom of the balloon).

There are several things that would theoretically reinflate the balloons, but none are practical. If you could lower the barometric pressure of the hospital room, the balloons will inflate. If you could heat the balloons, they would temporarily reinflate. If they are rubber balloons you could carefully untie them and blow in regular air, but then they won't be as buoyant and will probably sink.

[phill4paul]

If these are mylar balloons, nothing will work in the long run...it's all about pv=nRt, and n, the number of moles of helium in the balloons, is constantly decreasing through diffusion. The only way to reinflate them would be to increase n by adding more helium (or any other gas for that matter) or t (the temperature of the gas in the balloons), or to decrease p (the surrounding barometric pressure) or v (the volume occupied by the balloons, i.e. make them smaller--that might work with a creatively placed dab of superglue and tightly rolling up the bottom of the balloon).

There are several things that would theoretically reinflate the balloons, but none are practical. If you could lower the barometric pressure of the hospital room, the balloons will inflate. If you could heat the balloons, they would temporarily reinflate. If they are rubber balloons you could carefully untie them and blow in regular air, but then they won't be as buoyant and will probably sink.

You need to go on a game show.