Imagine a bunch of Balloons say with 10 lbs helium, 20 lbs, etc...perhaps the high number on the baloon. and a rope with a carabiner or some fastening device.

Clip them on to reduce the weight of objects when repetitively moving heavy objects.

Example 1: bricklaying 80 lb stone blocks. Clip on 70 lbs. of balloon counterweights so that they are like moving 10 lb. blocks into position all day.

Example 2: Carrying a 50 lb package three blocks... clip on 40 lbs. of antiweights.

Whatever is to be lifted, apply just enough counterweight to lighten it to the point of being effortlessly moved around.

I know the balloons would have to be much bigger than the standard ones to generate significant upward force.
-- ShawnBob, Apr 23 2010

what's a bigh number?
-- po, Apr 23 2010


Even if you can reduce their weight to zero, they will still have inertial mass. Your 80lb stone block could effortlessly dismantle your knee if you got in its way.
-- BunsenHoneydew, Apr 23 2010


Thanks Xen, Po:

I can't spel in the middle of the night.
-- ShawnBob, Apr 23 2010


Works for logging.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 23 2010


//Even if you can reduce their weight to zero, they will still have inertial mass.//

That would depend upon the "context". Inside a closed automobile, for example, a helium balloon will behave as though it has negative mass (when accelerating forward, for example, the balloon will move to the front of the car--traveling faster than the car itself). This happens because the balloon has less mass than the air in the car; the air doesn't accelerate as fast as the car or the balloon, so the air in the back of the car pushes the balloon forward.

That having been said, the amount of air displacement required to lift even 50lb is so huge that on a windy day air drag would be a far bigger hazard than inertia.
-- supercat, Apr 23 2010


// Well, you could compress the helium, then it would take up less space... //

Can I fishbone an annotation?

The helium is there only to keep the balloon inflated and huge (without weighing as much as that volume of air). It's the size which produces buoyancy - helium doesn't have any special anti-gravity properties. Compress it and you'll just have a heavy gas tank.
-- arvin, Apr 24 2010


[M_rm], you are kidding right?

On to the idea, besides the logistical issues mentioned of using this while attached to the weight, the other major issue occurs when you remove the weight. I can move 50 lbs easily, but maneuvering balloons with 50lbs of lift would be really hard. (-)
-- MisterQED, Apr 24 2010



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