If a helium balloon was released on the moon surface what would happen?

Answer 1

Balloons can fly in the Earth's atmosphere when they are lighter than air itself,

the "heavy" air pushing the balloon up. The moon has no atmosphere, so any

object, even a helium balloon, would simply fall to the surface of the moon,

although relatively slowly since moon's gravity is only 1/6th as strong as it is

on Earth.

Also, the only force resisting the expansion of the balloon would be the rubber

skin itself, without atmospheric pressure on the outside to back it up. So the gas

inside the balloon would expand to whatever volume and pressure it wanted for

its temperature, and if the rubber couldn't hold that pressure, then the balloon

would explode. The difference, compared to its behavior on earth, would be

14.6 pounds per square inch missing from the outside of the balloon.

On the Earth, a helium balloon will float away, and a feather dropped will flutter

down to the ground slowly. A hammer will fall rapidly. On the Moon, all three items

would fall at the same speed!