P2_2 Can Airheads Blow Minds?

Abstract

The possibility of using helium gas inside the human head to make a person float was investigated using buoyancy and the ideal gas law. The volume of helium required to float was calculated as 63.7m3. When compressed down to the approximate size of a human head the pressure exerted was calculated as 2.23x109Pa. Since this was enough to destroy the skull, the minimum volume that the gas could be compressed to was calculated as 0.0678m3.