How many helium balloons does it take to lift a curling stone?
About 1,900 balloonsA curling stone weighs 18.6 kg, and each balloon lifts about 10 g.
It takes about 1,900 balloons.
How we worked it out
A curling stone weighs 18.6 kg, and each balloon lifts about 10 g. Standard 11-inch party balloons at sea level, about 10 g of lift each. Real life adds a little friction and waste, so treat the number as a solid ballpark rather than a lab result. The constants behind every experiment are on the science page.
Watch it happen
This was one of the five experiments in It Took #21. In the game you guess first, then the experiment plays out with your number: too few and it fails, too many and it overshoots.
Play It Took #21Play today’s experiments
More balloons questions
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a watermelon? About 910.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a swan? About 1,100.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a gold bar? About 1,200.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a bicycle? About 1,200.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a koala? About 1,200.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a Labrador? About 3,000.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an emperor penguin? About 3,400.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a German Shepherd? About 3,500.