Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
Since it's a reduction in lift (considered as an improvement), it would be like inflating your football with methane.
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Well, no.
Methane (CH4) may not have the extremely low density of H2 or He, but it is definitely less dense than standard atmosphere at stp. Nitrogen and Oxygen are both more massive than Carbon AND they are diatomic, N2 and O2. The four little hydrogen atoms along with the smaller single carbon means methane at stp is around half the density of regular air at stp.
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You could use argon or sulfur hexafluoride for analogies requiring a gas more dense than regular air.