• Question: What happens to a helium balloon when it catches fire?

    Asked by rache to Peter, Mark, Katharine, Jony, Ben on 16 Nov 2011.
    • Photo: Ben Still

      Ben Still answered on 15 Nov 2011:

      Helium balloons won’t catch fire – or is they do it is just the balloon burning and not the Helium. Helium is a noble gas and noble gases are what we call inert – which means they do not really react and burning is just a chemical reaction – adding oxygen to the thing you are burning.

      Hydrogen on the other hand burns fiercely as it is highly reactive. When hydrogen burns it forms H2O – AKA water. Early airships like the German Zeppelins used Hydrogen, but after many explosive disasters there was a re-think.

    • Photo: Mark Basham

      Mark Basham answered on 15 Nov 2011:

      There are some cool youtube videos of slow motion hydrogen ballons being burnt, check one of them out here

    • Photo: Katharine Schofield

      Katharine Schofield answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      As Ben says, not much, which is why they get sold in card shops & all over the place. Hydrogen ballons on the other hand, whoa, don’t be inhaling those, kids!

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