How to Calculate Maximum Load Hot Air Balloon Can Lift?

What is the mass of the hot air balloon including the basket?

300 kg

How much does the hot air inside the balloon weigh?

17,000 N

What is the weight of the cold air displaced?

25,000 N

Answer:

500 kg

To calculate the maximum load that a hot air balloon can lift, we need to consider the weight of the hot air inside the balloon, the mass of the balloon including the basket, the weight of the cold air displaced, and the gravitational acceleration (g = 10 m/s2). In this scenario, the hot air weighs 17,000 N and displaces 25,000 N of cold air.

The difference in weight, which is 25,000 N - 17,000 N = 8,000 N, results in the buoyant force that lifts the entire system. Using the gravitational acceleration of 10 m/s2, we can calculate the total mass that the balloon can lift, including the 300 kg basket.

By dividing the weight difference by the gravitational acceleration (8,000 N / 10 = 800 kg), we find that the maximum additional load that the balloon can lift is 800 kg - 300 kg = 500 kg. Therefore, the maximum load the hot air balloon can lift is 500 kg.

← Common condensate problems on high efficiency furnaces How many photons are produced in each pulse of a ruby laser →