How many helium balloons does it take to lift an American football?
About 41 balloonsAn American football weighs 411 g, and each balloon lifts about 10 g.
It takes about 41 balloons.
How we worked it out
An American football weighs 411 g, 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 #37. 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 #37Play today’s experiments
More balloons questions
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a volleyball? About 27.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a 250-page paperback? About 28.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an African grey parrot? About 41.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a soccer ball? About 43.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a boxing glove? About 45.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a violin? About 45.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a basketball? About 62.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an umbrella? About 67.