CaptainPanic Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 If a balloon, like in the example I gave above, weighs the same as the air it contains, that will also be the case if it gets compressed... The air gets compressed, and the plastic shrinks. But indeed, on top of Mt. Everest, the balloons will contain much less air than they weigh themselves... because they would pop if they did... and my whole idea does not hold. (Therefore, it will also not be possible to let up a helium balloon on top of Mt. Everest - not a normal standard party balloon anyway - weather balloons obviously have no problem.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyamerica Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 What if your body had time to equalize pressure like a scuba diver as the balloons are being piled up? Interesting discussion. Surely the balloons would exert some outward force on the sides of the test vessel. Digressing a bit, but I once heard that an infinite amount of cornflakes can be stacked up without crushing the ones on the bottom because of their shape and the ability to distribute weight horizontally. Can't prove it though. i'm sure a link could be found about it but.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrP Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 ....I once heard that an infinite amount of cornflakes can be stacked up without crushing the ones on the bottom because of their shape and the ability to distribute weight horizontally. Can't prove it though. i'm sure a link could be found about it but.... That's the kind of thing I was thinking might happen with the balloons too. Wan't sure how best to explain it though (or if it would actually happen at all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Skeptic Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Digressing a bit, but I once heard that an infinite amount of cornflakes can be stacked up without crushing the ones on the bottom because of their shape and the ability to distribute weight horizontally. Can't prove it though. i'm sure a link could be found about it but.... Definitely false. If you stack them high enough, not only will they crush the ones on the bottom, they would collapse into a black hole. All the cornflakes that could be made on earth I'd believe, but infinite is far larger than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119959841/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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