A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a fluid, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous

oxide, oxygen, air or water. Modern day balloons are made from materials such
as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, and can come in many colors. Some early
balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig bladder. Some balloons are used for
decorative purposes or entertaining purposes, while others are used for practical purposes such
as meteorology, medical treatment, military defense, or transportation. A balloon's properties,
including its low density and low cost, have led to a wide range of applications.
The rubber balloon was invented by Michael Faraday in 1824, during experiments with various
gases.[1]

Contents
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 1Applications
o 1.1Decoration or entertainment
 1.1.1Modelling and use in art
 1.1.2Drops and releases
 1.1.3Publicity use
 1.1.4Water balloons
 1.1.5Solar balloons
 1.1.6Balloon rockets
o 1.2Flying machines
o 1.3Medicine
 2Safety and environmental concerns
 3Physics
o 3.1Air pressure
 4See also
 5References
 6Further reading
 7External links

Applications
See also: List of balloon uses

Decoration or entertainment
Main article: Toy balloon
Balloon Decorating
Decorations made of balloons with a combination of stacking and twisting techniques showcasing the deco-
twisting style.

Balloons are used for decorating birthday parties, weddings, corporate functions, school events, and
for other festive gatherings. The artists who use the round balloons to build are called "stackers" and
the artists who use pencil balloons to build are called "twisters." Most commonly associated with
helium balloon decor, more recently balloon decorators have been moving towards the creation of
air-filled balloon decorations due to the non-renewable natural resource of helium limited in supply.
The most common types of balloon decor include arches, columns, centerpieces, balloon drops,
sculptures, and balloon bouquets. With the increased aptitude for balloon twisting as well as balloon
stacking, the rise of the deco-twister manifests itself as the combination of stacking techniques as
well as twisting techniques to create unique and interesting balloon decor option.

Decorative rainbow colored arches made of party balloons used at the gay pride parade in São Paulo, Brazil.

Party balloons are mostly made of a natural latex tapped from rubber trees, and can be filled with
air, helium, water, or any other suitable liquid or gas. The rubber's elasticity makes the volume
adjustable.
Twisting balloons can be used to create decor centerpieces for events and to create a more unique look than
can be provided by foil balloons.

Often the term "Party Balloon" will refer to a twisting balloon or pencil balloon. These balloons are
manipulated to create shapes and figures for parties and events, typically along with entertainment.
Filling the balloon with air can be done with the mouth, a manual or electric inflater (such as a
hand pump), or with a source of compressed gas.
When rubber or plastic balloons are filled with helium so that they float, they typically retain
their buoyancy for only a day or so, sometimes longer. The enclosed helium atoms escape through
small pores in the latex which are larger than the helium atoms. Balloons filled with air usually hold
their size and shape much longer, sometimes for up to a week.
Even a perfect rubber balloon eventually loses gas to the outside. The process by which a
substance or solute migrates from a region of high concentration, through a barrier or membrane, to
a region of lower concentration is called diffusion. The inside of balloons can be treated with a
special gel (for instance, the polymer solution sold under the "Hi Float" brand) which coats the inside
of the balloon to reduce the helium leakage, thus increasing float time to a week or longer.
Animal-shaped balloons

Beginning in the late 1970s, some more expensive (and longer-lasting) foil balloons made of thin,
unstretchable, less permeable metallised films such as Mylar (BoPET) started being produced.
These balloons have attractive shiny reflective surfaces and are often printed with color pictures and
patterns for gifts and parties. The most important attribute of metallised nylon for balloons is its
lightweight, increasing buoyancy and its ability to keep the helium gas from escaping for several
weeks. Foil balloons have been criticized for interfering with power lines.[2][3]
Modelling and use in art
Balloon artists are entertainers who twist and tie inflated tubular balloons into sculptures (see balloon
modelling). The balloons used for sculpture are made of extra-stretchy rubber so that they can be
twisted and tied without bursting. Since the pressure required to inflate a balloon is inversely
proportional to the diameter of the balloon[citation needed], these tiny tubular balloons are extremely hard to
inflate initially. A pump is usually used to inflate these balloons.
Decorators may use helium balloons to create balloon sculptures. Usually the round shape of the
balloon restricts these to simple arches or walls, but on occasion more ambitious "sculptures" have
been attempted. It is also common to use balloons as table decorations for celebratory events.
Balloons can sometimes be modeled to form shapes of animals. Table decorations normally appear
with three or five balloons on each bouquet. Ribbon is curled and added with a weight to keep the
balloons from floating away.
Drops and releases
Party balloons in Italy

A decorative use for balloons is in balloon drops. In a balloon drop, a plastic bag or net filled with air-
inflated balloons is suspended from a fixed height. Once released, the balloons fall onto their target
area below. Balloon drops are commonly performed at New Year's Evecelebrations and at political
rallies and conventions, but may also be performed at celebrations, including graduations and
weddings.
For decades, people have also celebrated with balloon releases. This practice has been
discouraged by the balloon industry, as it has posed problematic for the environment and cities. In
recent years, legislation, such as the California Balloon Law, has been enacted to enforce
consumers and retailers to tether helium-filled foil (BoPET) balloons with a balloon weight. This
ensures that the helium-filled balloons do not float into the atmosphere, which is both potentially
injurious to animals, the environment, and power lines. Many states now have banned balloon
releases, and organizations such as Balloons Blow have been created to educate people about the
environmental issues.[4]
It is becoming more common for balloons to be filled with air instead of helium, as air-filled balloons
will not release into the atmosphere or deplete the earthly helium supply. There are numerous party
games and school-related activities that can use air-filled balloons as opposed to helium balloons.
When age-appropriate, these activities often include the added fun of blowing the balloons up. In
many events, the balloons will contain prizes, and party-goers can pop the balloons to retrieve the
items inside.
Publicity use
Balloons are used for publicity at major events. Screen printing processes can be used to print
designs and company logos onto the balloons. Custom built printers inflate the balloon and apply ink
with elastic qualities through a silk screen template. In January 2008, the Jewish Community
Relations Council of New York organized a display of 4,200 red balloons outside the United Nations
Headquarters.[5]
Also in the 1950s at the start of the Cold War, activists in Western Europe uses balloons for
propaganda purposes that would float east over Eastern Europe, which would release newspapers
and pamphlets. Today, South Korean activists are using the same balloon method to get information
to those in North Korea.[6]
Paolo Scannavino set the record of 11 for the most giant balloons entered in 2 minutes.[7]