How many helium balloons does it take to lift an apple?
About 18 balloonsAn apple weighs 180 g, and each balloon lifts about 10 g.
It takes about 18 balloons.
How we worked it out
An apple weighs 180 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 #40. 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 #40Play today’s experiments
More balloons questions
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a hamster? About 12.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a banana? About 12.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift an orange? About 14.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a baseball? About 15.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a smartphone? About 21.
- How many helium balloons does it take to lift a Big Mac? About 22.
- 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.