Guys,
why do helium balloons eventually come down from the ceiling, as apposed to staying up there forever? Dr Beckril from 1st year Physics in the back of my mind is shouting osmosis, but I am not listening.
Spiffo
Leakage I’d guess. Perhaps including osmosis, but not necessarily limited to just that.
Your typical Pikachu Mylar helium balloon is not exactly a precision scientific instrument. I assume those seems, and the throat of the balloon, leak. Helium escapes, buoyancy lost, balloon comes down.
laugh
Anyway, it is leakage through the neck (not osmosis).
OK OK, what about in cases where the balloon does not get much smaller?
There’s a good discussion of this topic in this old GQ thread
Arjuna34