If you let go of a balloon (helium) how high up will it go before it pops?
Also, if you put one in a freezer,would it pop?
These questions were wondered about by my son, and his balloon.
There are many factors to include in the answer to that question.
As the balloon ascends it reaches thinner atmosphere, and it will need to expand. If the balloon has no room to expand it will burst. My guess would be about 5 to 8 thousand feet for the average balloon. If you were to fill a 55 gallon trash bag 50% full of helium and let it loose it would have much more room to expand than a balloon. I believe the trash bag would reach an altitude in which the surrounding air will be lighter than the helium with in and therefore reach it’s equilibrium. In Elementary school, we all attached post cards to balloons and released them. We received responses from two states away, so obviously they don’t just pop instantly.
The cold is not what makes the balloon pop. It is the decrease in the atmospheric pressure. The pressure is greater inside the balloon so it expands and bursts when it reaches it’s maximum stretching point. In the freezer the conditions are different. The temperature is the difference. The balloon will actually shrink not expand. If you put a balloon in liquid nitrogen it will appear to completely deflate and as it warms up will in fact reinflate.