Reflection on Gas Behavior: Why Does an Inflated Balloon Shrink in the Refrigerator?

Why does an inflated balloon shrink when placed in the refrigerator?

Does this balloon lose mass?

Answer:

An inflated balloon shrinks when refrigerated because of Charles's Law, where gas volume is directly proportional to temperature at constant pressure, causing the balloon to shrink as temperature decreases. The mass remains constant as no gas is lost in the process.

When an inflated balloon is placed in the refrigerator, it shrinks due to a decrease in temperature, but it does not lose mass. The volume of the gas inside the balloon decreases because gas particles move more sluggishly and take up less space when cold. This phenomenon is explained by Charles's Law, which states that, given a constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature.

Therefore, when the temperature drops, the volume decreases as well, causing the balloon to shrink. When the balloon is warmed up again, it will expand back to its original size. This behavior of gases can be observed in various situations where temperature changes impact the volume of gas inside a closed system.