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A balloon filled with helium rises against gravity increasing its potential energy. The speed of the balloon also increases as it rises. How do you reconcile this with the law of conservation of mechanical energy? You can neglect viscous drag of air and assume that density of air is constant.
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As the dragging viscous force of air on balloon is neglected so there is net Buoyant force $=V \rho g$
$=$ Vol. of air displaced $\times$ net density upward $\times g$
$=V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g($ upward $)$
Let $a$ be the upward acceleration of ballon then where, $m=$ Mass of balloon
$V=$ volume of balloon
$\rho_{\mathrm{He}}=$ Density of helium
$\rho_{\text {air }}=$ Density of air
So, $V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g=m a=$ upthrust
$V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g=\left(m \frac{d v}{d t}\right)$
Integrating both side with respect to $t$.
$$
\begin{aligned}
&m d v=V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) d t \\
&m v=V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t \\
&v=\frac{V}{m}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t \\
&\text { K.E. of balloon }=\frac{1}{2} m v^2 \\
&\frac{1}{2} m v^2=\frac{1}{2} m \frac{V^2}{m^2}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)^2 g^2 t^2 \\
&\quad=\frac{1}{2 m} V^2\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)^2 g^2 t^2
\end{aligned}
$$
If the balloon rises to a height $h$ from
$$
\begin{aligned}
&s=u t+\frac{1}{2} a t^2 ;(u=0) \\
&{\left[\therefore a=\frac{V}{m}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g\right]}
\end{aligned}
$$
So, $h=\frac{1}{2} a t^2=\frac{1}{2} \frac{V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)}{m} g t^2$
From Eqs. (iii) and (ii),
$$
\begin{aligned}
& \frac{1}{2} m v^2=\left[V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) \mathrm{g}\right]\left[\frac{1}{2 m} V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t^2\right] \\
=& V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g h \\
\frac{1}{2} m v^2=V \rho_{\text {air }} g h-V \rho_{\mathrm{He}} g h
\end{aligned}
$$
Rearranging the terms,
$$
\begin{aligned}
&\frac{1}{2} m v^2+V \rho_{\mathrm{He}} g h=V \rho_{\text {air }} h g \\
&\mathrm{KE}_{\text {balloon }}+\mathrm{PE}_{\text {balloon }}=\text { Change in PE of air. }
\end{aligned}
$$
Hence, as the balloon goes up, an equal volume of air comes down, increase in PE and KE of the balloon is at the cost of PE of air.
$=$ Vol. of air displaced $\times$ net density upward $\times g$
$=V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g($ upward $)$
Let $a$ be the upward acceleration of ballon then where, $m=$ Mass of balloon
$V=$ volume of balloon
$\rho_{\mathrm{He}}=$ Density of helium
$\rho_{\text {air }}=$ Density of air
So, $V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g=m a=$ upthrust
$V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g=\left(m \frac{d v}{d t}\right)$
Integrating both side with respect to $t$.
$$
\begin{aligned}
&m d v=V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) d t \\
&m v=V\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t \\
&v=\frac{V}{m}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t \\
&\text { K.E. of balloon }=\frac{1}{2} m v^2 \\
&\frac{1}{2} m v^2=\frac{1}{2} m \frac{V^2}{m^2}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)^2 g^2 t^2 \\
&\quad=\frac{1}{2 m} V^2\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)^2 g^2 t^2
\end{aligned}
$$
If the balloon rises to a height $h$ from
$$
\begin{aligned}
&s=u t+\frac{1}{2} a t^2 ;(u=0) \\
&{\left[\therefore a=\frac{V}{m}\left(\rho_{\mathrm{air}}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g\right]}
\end{aligned}
$$
So, $h=\frac{1}{2} a t^2=\frac{1}{2} \frac{V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right)}{m} g t^2$
From Eqs. (iii) and (ii),
$$
\begin{aligned}
& \frac{1}{2} m v^2=\left[V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) \mathrm{g}\right]\left[\frac{1}{2 m} V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g t^2\right] \\
=& V\left(\rho_{\text {air }}-\rho_{\mathrm{He}}\right) g h \\
\frac{1}{2} m v^2=V \rho_{\text {air }} g h-V \rho_{\mathrm{He}} g h
\end{aligned}
$$
Rearranging the terms,
$$
\begin{aligned}
&\frac{1}{2} m v^2+V \rho_{\mathrm{He}} g h=V \rho_{\text {air }} h g \\
&\mathrm{KE}_{\text {balloon }}+\mathrm{PE}_{\text {balloon }}=\text { Change in PE of air. }
\end{aligned}
$$
Hence, as the balloon goes up, an equal volume of air comes down, increase in PE and KE of the balloon is at the cost of PE of air.
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