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📘 How does a hot-air balloon rise?

Follow burner heat, density, buoyancy, vents, and wind through a balloon flight.

lessons

~10 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Adults

level

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What you’ll learn

Buoyant force
Heating
Envelope
Burner
Descent
Equilibrium
Wind
Basket and load
Landing
The complete rise

Questions this course answers

Why does a hot-air balloon rise?

Lower-density interior air makes the balloon system lighter than the outside air it displaces.

What does the burner primarily change?

Heating expands the interior air and lowers its density.

How does a pilot reduce lift?

Cooling or releasing hot air increases interior density and reduces buoyancy.

How does a hot-air balloon steer horizontally?

The balloon rides the wind, so altitude changes can alter its ground track.

What sets the balloon's total required lift?

All system components and payload contribute to the weight buoyancy must support.

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