2014 FRC's Biggest Loser

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by Pault

Well, if you want to get technical, helium doesn't have negative mass, it is just less dense than air. A metric ton of helium is a metric ton of stuff, but it's still gonna float.

Compressing 1 metric ton (of mass) into a 112" circumference, 60" tall cylinder will NOT float.

At STP, 1000kg (mass) of Helium will occupy 5.6 million liters of space. Compressing that to ~980 liters (cylinder above) will increase the density from 0.1786 g/L (STP) ("lighter" than air) to over 1 kg per liter (much, much "heavier" than air [1.29g/L])

The most current price I can find on helium is $5.2 per 100 grams (if it is out of date, helium is only getting more expensive) You would have to drop 52 grand on helium, which is definitely illegal.

Also the pressure would be 15,000 PSI, definitely not legal, and unbelievably dangerous