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Is methane lighter than air? Would it function as a lifting gas?
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Is methane lighter than air? Would it function as a lifting gas?
The molecular weight of methane is 16 g/mole (12+4x1). The average molecular weight of air is 29 g/mole.
According to Avogadro’s law, the number of molecules in a gas at given pressure and temperature, is a constant. Hence the density of the gas is directly proportional to the molecular weight.
Hence the weight of methane is a bit more than half the weight of the same volume of air.
Which means that the lift will be approximately half the lift you get by using helium.
The molecular weight of methane is 16 g/mole (12+4x1). The average molecular weight of air is 29 g/mole.
According to Avogadro’s law, the number of molecules in a gas at given pressure and temperature, is a constant. Hence the density of the gas is directly proportional to the molecular weight.
Hence the weight of methane is a bit more than half the weight of the same volume of air.
Which means that the lift will be approximately half the lift you get by using helium.
Methane weighs 0.0424 pounds per cubic foot while air is 0.0766 (at 60F and 30″ mercury). So every cubic foot of methane has the difference of 0.0766–0.0424 = 0.0342 pounds of buoyancy.
If you want to lift a 150-pound human, you’d need 4386 cubic feet of gas, but the container weighs something. If you kept the balloons, lines and harness to 150 pounds, then a 8800 cubic foot volume would lift the human and lighter-than-air craft. This has been done, most famously by truck driver Larry Walters in 1982 to go to 16,000 feet, disrupt air traffic and get some citations from the FAA.
Methane weighs 0.0424 pounds per cubic foot while air is 0.0766 (at 60F and 30″ mercury). So every cubic foot of methane has the difference of 0.0766–0.0424 = 0.0342 pounds of buoyancy.
If you want to lift a 150-pound human, you’d need 4386 cubic feet of gas, but the container weighs something. If you kept the balloons, lines and harness to 150 pounds, then a 8800 cubic foot volume would lift the human and lighter-than-air craft. This has been done, most famously by truck driver Larry Walters in 1982 to go to 16,000 feet, disrupt air traffic and get some citations from the FAA.
The molecular weight of methane is 16 g/mole (12+4x1). The average molecular weight of air is 29 g/mole.
According to Avogadro’s law, the number of molecules in a gas at given pressure and temperature, is a constant. Hence the density of the gas is directly proportional to the molecular weight.
Hence the weight of methane is a bit more than half the weight of the same volume of air.
Which means that the lift will be approximately half the lift you get by using helium.
The molecular weight of methane is 16 g/mole (12+4x1). The average molecular weight of air is 29 g/mole.
According to Avogadro’s law, the number of molecules in a gas at given pressure and temperature, is a constant. Hence the density of the gas is directly proportional to the molecular weight.
Hence the weight of methane is a bit more than half the weight of the same volume of air.
Which means that the lift will be approximately half the lift you get by using helium.
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Yes, methane is lighter than air.
Methane weighs 0.0424 pounds per cubic foot while air is 0.0766 (at 60F and 30″ mercury). So every cubic foot of methane has the difference of 0.0766–0.0424 = 0.0342 pounds of buoyancy.
If you want to lift a 150-pound human, you’d need 4386 cubic feet of gas, but the container weighs something. If you kept the balloons, lines and harness to 150 pounds, then a 8800 cubic foot volume would lift the human and lighter-than-air craft. This has been done, most famously by truck driver Larry Walters in 1982 to go to 16,000 feet, disrupt air traffic and get some citations from the FAA.
Yes, methane is lighter than air.
Methane weighs 0.0424 pounds per cubic foot while air is 0.0766 (at 60F and 30″ mercury). So every cubic foot of methane has the difference of 0.0766–0.0424 = 0.0342 pounds of buoyancy.
If you want to lift a 150-pound human, you’d need 4386 cubic feet of gas, but the container weighs something. If you kept the balloons, lines and harness to 150 pounds, then a 8800 cubic foot volume would lift the human and lighter-than-air craft. This has been done, most famously by truck driver Larry Walters in 1982 to go to 16,000 feet, disrupt air traffic and get some citations from the FAA.
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