Six Red Balloons Deliver Surprises and Structure–Property Relationships in Gas Permeability

• Hamel Tailor ^[1] ; Abbegaile Sonon ^[1] ; Loren G. Kaake ^[1]
  1. [1] Simon Fraser University

     Simon Fraser University

     Canadá

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 102, Nº 1, 2025, págs. 463-466
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The movement of gases through a polymer membrane is exemplified by the deflation of common latex balloons. This whimsical example provides a demonstration of the important interplay between kinetics and thermodynamics in determining the course of a process. Six balloons are filled with differing gases, and without prior knowledge, their behavior is difficult to predict. However, a discussion of partial pressures and well-established properties of gas diffusion through polymer films qualitatively explains the behavior, providing a clear example of a structure–property relationship.