Uploaded January 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Thunderf00t recently uploaded a video and asked a question, why do hydrogen filled balloons burn reddish orange when pure hydrogen pretty much has a colorless flame.
In this video I give three theories based on my experience with balloons. Check out my best work here. youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE5F46F5B9E7BDBE2
First and third theories are based on how they are made. Latex comes from trees and as such is biodegradable and is carbon based. Prior to being dipped in the latex the balloon molds are coated with a powder to keep them from sticking.
Learn how balloons are made youtube.com/watch?v=PJQecDCS1aI
About the rubber tree treesandshrubs.about.com/od/treeshrubbasics/f/Where-Does-Latex-Come-From.htm
The second theory is that what is actually burning is a mixture of hydrogen and air as the balloons are porous and the longer the hydrogen filled balloon sits the greater chance of a flame when lit.
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/clcwebsite/balloon.html
For those of you with access to hydrogen it would be interesting to see how a sterile latex glove filled with hydrogen would react.
Thunderf00t's video
youtube.com/watch?v=r6wp7IjOvDI
To see more video responses I have made toward Thunderf00t click here
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL61288C7E5B1DB99C
Thunderf00t recently uploaded a video and asked a question, why do hydrogen filled balloons burn reddish orange when pure hydrogen pretty much has a colorless flame.
In this video I give three theories based on my experience with balloons. Check out my best work here. youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE5F46F5B9E7BDBE2
First and third theories are based on how they are made. Latex comes from trees and as such is biodegradable and is carbon based. Prior to being dipped in the latex the balloon molds are coated with a powder to keep them from sticking.
Learn how balloons are made youtube.com/watch?v=PJQecDCS1aI
About the rubber tree treesandshrubs.about.com/od/treeshrubbasics/f/Where-Does-Latex-Come-From.htm
The second theory is that what is actually burning is a mixture of hydrogen and air as the balloons are porous and the longer the hydrogen filled balloon sits the greater chance of a flame when lit.
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/clcwebsite/balloon.html
For those of you with access to hydrogen it would be interesting to see how a sterile latex glove filled with hydrogen would react.
Thunderf00t's video
youtube.com/watch?v=r6wp7IjOvDI
To see more video responses I have made toward Thunderf00t click here
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL61288C7E5B1DB99C
