Question

why does an inflated balloon shrink in size when kept inside a freezer

Answer 1

A balloon shrinks inside a fridge because of the way gases behave. If the pressures remain the same on a fixed mass of gas, a drop in temperature will reduce the volume of the gas. The gas molecules get closer together and the density increases.

V1/V2 = T1/T2 if the gas is ideal (as if anything ever is).

Answer 2

An inflated balloon shrink in size when kept inside a freezer because, the decreased temparature of the balloon also decreased the volume of air (gas) inside the balloon. (here, pressure is assumed to be constant and the whole concept is based upon Charle's law)

To properly understand this answer, we have to know more about Charle's law.

Charle's law :

• At constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the absolute temperature of that gas.

According to the above mentioned Charle's law, when the temperature of the balloon decreases (as compared to the balloon in the room temperature, when it was initially inflated) while being in the freezer, the volume of the air (or, gas) filled inside that balloon also decreases, due to a directly proportional relationship between them. (all of this is considered by keeping the pressure constant)

Hence, we have discussed about Charle's law and its practical example of shrinking of a balloon in the freezer.