Most of the United States watched as the now infamous "Balloon Boy" story played out. The popular TV Show "Myth Busters" has investigated how many standard helium filled balloons it would take to lift a child. On 2 July, 1982 Larry Walters inflated weather balloons with helium and flew himself (along with a lawn chair and jugs of water for ballast) nearly 3 miles high.

Human beings have had a fascination with balloon-based flight for time out of mind. Now, through the use of basic physics, you too can determine exactly how many standard 11 inch helium balloons it would take to float various everyday objects.

CRITICAL DISCLAIMER --
The information contained within this application is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do *NOT* attempt to use this information to achieve real lift. By using this application you agree to indemnify the authors against any and all damages incurred during actual lift experiments. In other words, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

Application Features -

* Scroll through a list of standard objects and see how many helium balloons would be required to lift them off the ground.

* The standard list can be updated from our online database of items. The available list will be updated occasionally with new and amusing objects.

* Enter your own custom items. Simply select an appropriate weight and give the item a name. The app will immediately show you the balloons required to achieve lift. Tab the Submit button to submit your item for consideration in the standard item database.

* Tap the "More Information" button to display a screen detailing the physics behind helium based buoyancy (lift) used in this app.