Info about Balloons
Balloons: Colorful Fiesta for the Celebration of Life
Balloons have become the integral part of modern celebrations to add pep to the celebration of various festivities of life like birthdays, anniversaries, feasts, marriages and other social occasions. First of all what is a balloon? It is something that can be inflated with air, light gases like helium, hydrogen and nitrous oxide. Usually latex, polythene and nylon are used in its making. Earlier the dried bladders of animals were also used in the making of these.
Balloons filled with light gases are lighter than air and float in the air if they are tethered to something on the ground. Some times these balloons are let off into the sky in large numbers to add to the gaiety of a special occasion. Balloons can be given various colors and shapes. The colors can be a mosaic in the same balloons. Some balloons also capture images of cartoon characters, animals and birds which give special delight to the viewers. Balloons take different shapes. It is very popular to give the shape of hearts to them as they are used in occasions which celebrate love in some form or other. Some balloons when they are inflated get the shape of animals, airplanes, and cartoon characters. Imagination has been fertile in the making of balloons and there is an amazing variety in the hues and shapes of balloons.
In the early days of aviation balloons were used in flying. They were called Zeppelins after the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who invented them. The thinner than air that is filled in them give them the buoyancy to float in the air. A small propeller fixed on its bottom gave momentum and stability. Their early use was in reconnoitering in the war front for the enemy troop movements. Making use of the advantage of height, soldiers could watch with the help of binoculars where the enemy is stationed and could give logistic support in the early days of modern warfare. The idea of using them in actual battle has proved disastrous as the movements were slow and were extremely vulnerable targets. A single shot can bring it down.
Huge balloons are used also in the modern advertisement industry. This is especially effective in areas where large numbers of people flock together like fares, markets, conventions and games. Because of the visibility from a distance and relative cost effectiveness and the spectacle effect, these ad-balloons are very popular across the globe.
Another use of balloons is in meteorology. This is a relatively cheaper way of studying weather conditions. They inflate a balloon with helium gas and launch them into the sky. The balloon has a radio transmitter which can send signals to the ground station. This information is received and processed to arrive at reliable data about the weather.
In spite of the many applications of balloons, the real value of balloons is the colorful visual fiesta it offers. Balloons are the ultimate symbols of childhood and the sight of balloons take us back to the days when we were children and led the lives of grass hoppers.