Newton's First Law Quick Check
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Question
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)
Responses
The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon.
The motion of the car creates an unbalanced backward force on the balloon.
The car moves forward, while inertia keeps the balloon in place.
The car moves forward, while inertia keeps the balloon in place.
Inertia prevents the force of the car from acting on the balloon.
Inertia prevents the force of the car from acting on the balloon.
The force of inertia on the balloon balances the force from the motion of the car.
The force of inertia on the balloon balances the force from the motion of the car.
The correct answer is: The force of inertia on the balloon balances the force from the motion of the car.
In this case, the correct statement that best explains the observation is: The car moves forward, while inertia keeps the balloon in place.
The correct answer is: The car moves forward, while inertia keeps the balloon in place.
Explanation: According to Newton's First Law of Motion, an object at rest or in motion will remain at rest or in motion with the same velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the balloon is originally at rest inside the car. When the car starts moving forward, the balloon tends to stay in its original position due to inertia. As a result, the balloon appears to move backward relative to the car, even though it is actually staying in place. In other words, the motion of the car creates an unbalanced forward force on the balloon, but due to inertia, the balloon resists this force and stays put.