Why do weather balloons use helium instead of hot air?
Weather balloons are unmanned. If you were to use hot air, you would need some way of keeping it hot. Something about having an unmanned, open flame and some sort of fuel supply floating around in the atmosphere and possibly over populated areas seems a bit dangerous to me. Especially considering the amount of fuel that would be required on board in order to keep the balloon in the air for a lengthy amount of time. However, helium is lighter than air, no matter its temperature. Because of this, helium filled objects will float. You also eliminate the need for a heat and fuel source.
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