How many helium balloons does it take to lift a koala?
About 1,200 balloonsA koala weighs 12 kg, and each balloon lifts about 10 g.
It takes about 1,200 balloons.
How we worked it out
A koala weighs 12 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 #41. 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 #41Play today’s experiments
More balloons questions
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a red fox? About 650.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a bowling ball? About 730.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a car tire? About 860.
- 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 curling stone? About 1,900.