A balloon floats inside a stopped car. When the car starts moving forward, the balloon appears to move backward relative to the car. Which statement best explains this observation?(1 point)
The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon.
The force of inertia on the balloon balances the force from the motion of the car.
Inertia prevents the force of the car from acting on the balloon.
The car moves forward, while inertia keeps the balloon in place.
I chose D.
The correct statement is A. The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon. This is due to the principle of inertia, which states that an object at rest will remain at rest or an object in motion will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. When the car starts moving, the air inside the car (including the balloon) initially remains at rest due to inertia. As the car accelerates forward, the air inside the car moves backward relative to the car, creating an unbalanced backward force on the balloon, making it appear to move backward relative to the car.
The correct answer is actually A. The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon. This phenomenon can be explained by Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia. According to this law, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
When the car starts moving forward, the balloon, initially at rest, tends to resist this change in motion and remains at rest. However, the car exerts a force on the balloon due to its own motion. As a result, the balloon appears to move backward relative to the car, as it is pushed backward by the force exerted by the moving car. This creates the illusion that the balloon is moving in the opposite direction of the car's motion.
The correct answer is actually A: The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon.
When the car starts moving forward, the air inside the car, including the balloon, is still at rest. As the car accelerates forward, there is an unbalanced force acting on the air particles, pushing them backwards. This backward force causes the balloon to move in the opposite direction relative to the car's movement, giving the illusion that the balloon is moving backward.