How many helium balloons does it take to lift a gold bar?
About 1,200 balloonsA gold bar weighs 12.4 kg, and each balloon lifts about 10 g.
It takes about 1,200 balloons.
How we worked it out
A gold bar weighs 12.4 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 #8. 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 #8Play today’s experiments
More balloons questions
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a 250-page paperback? About 28.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a hedgehog? About 80.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a pineapple? About 150.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a Chihuahua? About 200.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an electric guitar? About 360.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a red fox? About 650.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an elephant? About 600,000.