Understanding Balloon Acceleration
What causes a balloon to accelerate?
Miko is blowing up balloons for her little sister's birthday party. One of the balloons slips out of her hand before she ties it off, and it shoots through the air until it is empty. Which statement explains what causes the balloon to accelerate?
A. The air leaving through the balloon's mouth pushes on the air surrounding the balloon, so the balloon experiences a net force.
B. All air surrounding the balloon pushes the balloon forward.
C. The mass of the air leaving the balloon is greater than the mass of the balloon, so the balloon moves forward.
D. When the balloon pushes on the leaving air, the leaving air pushes back on the balloon, so the balloon experiences a net force.
Final answer: The balloon accelerates because the air leaving through its mouth pushes on the surrounding air, resulting in a net force on the balloon. Option A is correct.
Answer:
The correct statement that explains what causes the balloon to accelerate is option A.
When a balloon is let go, the air leaving through its mouth creates a force on the surrounding air. According to Newton's third law of motion, this action creates an equal and opposite reaction, causing the balloon to accelerate forward.
This phenomenon is a classic example of how action and reaction forces work in physics. As the air escapes from the balloon, it pushes against the surrounding air, propelling the balloon forward.
Understanding balloon acceleration provides insight into the principles of motion and forces in physics. Option A correctly identifies the mechanism behind the balloon's movement.