# Hindenburg Engineering Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761 "2004-05-24T06:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/21 "2004-05-24T19:52:45Z")
Speed of sound in Hydrogen (0°C) 1286 m/s Speed of sound in Helium (0°C) 972 m/s ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/22 "2004-05-24T19:56:51Z")
Listen, can I get anyone a beer? :runs for the door: 🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/23 "2004-05-24T22:03:20Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > I don’t believe this is correct, sound travels **slower** in a less dense medium. That’s a good rule of thumb, but [it’s not the whole story](http://www.lucinda.net/k6science/sound/sd_q_a.html). For instance, in a given gas, a higher temperature will both decrease the density and increase the speed of sound. However, a less dense gas will make the _vocal cords_ vibrate faster, which would raise the pitch of your voice. ---
**Author:** ![MMI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@MMI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MMI)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/24 "2004-05-24T23:08:00Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The flames were reported as red and yellow - hydrogen burns a nearly invisible blue even under ideal conditions, in daylight and at a distance it would have been invisible. So that’s significant data right there Which only means that other stuff was burning (or at least glowing) , not that no hydrogen was burning. It don’t take all that much other stuff in H2 to give the flames a nice bright glow. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/25 "2004-05-24T23:15:42Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > You’ll also get the right answer if you use the right molecular weight for helium, which is 4. It’s twice as dense as hydrogen, not 4 times. Hydrogen comes in molecules of two atoms each, while helium is an inert gas, and a molecule is a single atom. Yes. Where we you when I needed you? The solution came to me just as I was at the top of my backswing while making a 30 yard wedge approach to the green on the 3rd hole. “Helium is monatomic!” I thought and hit the ground about 3 in. behind the ball. As a result the ball only went halfway to the green instead of into the hole as it surely would have done if I hadn’t been distracted at such a crucual moment. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/26 "2004-05-26T02:52:28Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > Yes. Where we you when I needed you? The solution came to me just as I was at the top of my backswing while making a 30 yard wedge approach to the green on the 3rd hole. “Helium is monatomic!” I thought and hit the ground about 3 in. behind the ball. As a result the ball only went halfway to the green instead of into the hole as it surely would have done if I hadn’t been distracted at such a crucual moment. 😃😃 You made my whole night with that reply, **David**! I’m no golfer, but I sure would like to buy you a beer or three sometime. Let me know if you’re ever down my way, okay? Still chuckling… 🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761/27 "2004-05-26T06:17:37Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Would Helium actually lift the Hindenburg? Yep. In fact, they originally planned to use helium in the Hindenburg. When it was under construction it became apparent that they weren’t going to be able to get it from the US, who considered it a strategic resource. To take advantage of the extra lifting capacity that they’d now have from switching to hydrogen, they added ten additional passenger cabins (nine two berth cabins and one four berth family cabin). Eric [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindenburg-engineering-question/246761.md?page=1)