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How to Reinflate a Balloon

video How to Reinflate a Balloon

A partially filled balloon is placed into a vacuum chamber. When the vacuum is turned on the pressure exerted on the balloon decreases and the balloon can expand until the bell jar is completely filled. When the air is allowed back in the jar, the pressure is reestablished and the balloon returns to its original volume. This is a great example of Boyle's Law which shows an indirect relationship between pressure and volume.

15 comments

Oct 31, 2011. 7:48 PMIncrediblyCondensedBlackMatter says:

Walmart used to make gift balloons for showers and such that had baskets in them.they used a big machine like this to inflate the balloon, and could put large objects in it, and tie it off before depressurizing the vacuum and taking the balloon out.

Jul 17, 2011. 7:14 PMawsomehighvoltage says:

we did this with marshmallows and syringes in science class one time. they got quite big just from a syringe, you should put a few marshmallows in there.

Nov 2, 2010. 8:08 PMmobman713 says:

I can already see some kids trying to do it with their mouths.. KIDS dont try this at home..... with your mouths. Be Safe!

Aug 12, 2008. 11:27 AMEnigmaMax says:

shoulda let it pop...

May 15, 2009. 3:11 PMwaverider894 says:

It cant pop because its still the same amount of air inside the balloon, its just that the air inside is moving to accommodate the loss of air outside the balloon

May 19, 2009. 2:33 AMseansarvela says:

waverider894 is right. although if the air on the outside would have been more than the mass on the inside it would have popped. physics..

Mar 20, 2010. 6:30 PMthestyrofoampeanut says:

yeah enigmamax is right
air has nothing to do with whether the balloon pops(except for having too much of course)
but if the balloon gets bigger it physically as to pop because it will be overly stretched and tear

May 15, 2009. 11:03 PMEnigmaMax says:

well it doesn't have an unlimited supply of surface area, and if he left it going, the surface would have torn.

Mar 17, 2009. 3:20 PMalex315ca says:

is that what would happen to my brain in space?