Mythbusters: Helium Football By: Example Mrs. Steen

Problem Will a football filled with helium fly farther than one filled with air?

Introduction : From a punter for the Oakland Raiders had unusually long “hang-times”. After one of his kicks, NFL officials confiscated the ball for tests to see if the ball was filled with helium. Nothing abnormal was found, however, the myth still persisted. Maybe due to the fact that helium gas is lighter than air and half as dense as air. There is actually, on average, a 7gram difference between footballs filled with helium compared to those filled with air. In fact, a football filled with helium is actually lighter than an empty football! So, indeed helium filled footballs are lighter, but does that also mean a longer hang-time and distance when kicked?

If a football is filled with helium, then the distance traveled when kicked will increase.

Experimental Design Independent Variable: Dependent Variable: Control:

Materials

Procedure Summary Trial 1: Trial 2: Trial 3:

Data Summary Trial 1: Trial 2: Trial 3:

Sources of Error

Analysis

Conclusion