Why do helium balloons deflate faster?
Balloons eventually lose almost all of their air, but helium balloons demise much more rapidly. How quickly balloons deflate are a function of what’s inside, as well as the balloon itself.Balloon FactsMost balloons are made of thin latex which, at the molecular level, is made up of tangled strands of long polymers. We can’t see them, but these strands have small spaces between them.Helium AtomsHelium atoms are very tiny, much smaller than nitrogen and oxygen molecules that make up the largest percentage of the air we breathe.HolesThe spaces, or holes, between latex polymer strands are about 1,000 times larger than helium atoms. As helium atoms careen inside the balloon, they eventually find these large gaps and escape the balloon. Nitrogen and oxygen also find holes, but their size limits escape, which causes the balloon to deflate less rapidly.TemperatureTheoretically, helium escapes faster in a colder room, because helium atoms contract and can slip through holes more easily. In a wa