Why might a balloon, that is inflated almost to its capacity, pop or explode on an extremely warm day?
Responses
A The balloon may be faulty.The balloon may be faulty.
B It might pop because of the weakening of the balloon by the heat.It might pop because of the weakening of the balloon by the heat.
C The balloon might pop due to the increase in the volume of the gas.The balloon might pop due to the increase in the volume of the gas.
D The balloon might pop because the volume will decrease within the balloon.
C The balloon might pop due to the increase in the volume of the gas.
The correct answer is C - The balloon might pop due to the increase in the volume of the gas.
When a balloon is inflated, it is filled with gas, usually air or helium. The gas molecules inside the balloon move around and exert pressure on the walls of the balloon, keeping it inflated.
On an extremely warm day, the temperature increases. This increase in temperature causes the gas molecules inside the balloon to gain more kinetic energy, which makes them move faster.
According to Charles's Law, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature, assuming constant pressure. As the temperature increases, the volume of the gas inside the balloon will also increase.
When the balloon is inflated almost to its capacity, there is limited space for the gas molecules to expand as the volume increases. Due to this limited space, the pressure inside the balloon increases.
If the pressure exceeds the tensile strength of the balloon material, it can no longer contain the force exerted by the gas molecules, leading to the balloon popping or exploding.
So, on an extremely warm day, the temperature increase causes the volume of the gas inside the balloon to increase, which results in an increase in pressure and can lead to the balloon popping or exploding.