The Science Behind What Helps Hot Air Balloons Fly
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa (CBS) -- When you're wondering about anything science-related there is no better place than the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. CBS3's Lauren Casey took a trip to discover the power of science.
With the help of science, the hot air balloon has been carrying riders skyward, even before the Wright brothers.
"We had people flying hot air balloons well before that, the Montgolfier brothers were influential in the first manned hot air balloon," David Wrigley said.
So how does it all work? CBS3 went to the Franklin Institute to meet with Wrigley, of the Institute's Traveling Science Show, to find out what all goes into the balloons.
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"Heat, if something's warmer, what that really means is the molecules that make up that bit of matter have more energy and are moving faster," Wrigley said.
There are three main parts to a hot air balloon; the basket, the balloon also known as the "envelope," and the burners.
Those burners are fueled by propane which then heats the air to temperatures as hot as 250 degrees, allowing the balloon to fly.
"So the molecules are spreading out, moving faster and faster and becoming less dense," Wrigley said. "Now this cooler air around is denser than all of the air inside of here, the colder aid comes down and essentially pushes up the balloon."
Due to the buoyancy, a 5,000 pound hot air balloon can float thousands of feet into the sky.