2006-08-22 08:31:51 · 26 answers · asked by bean1267 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's because your car is full of air, which is more dense. It's the same reason a helium balloon tugs you UP, and not down, when you are standing on the sidewalk holding it. It's the same reason that a balloon filled with regular air goes UP when released from the bottom of a swimming pool. A helium balloon would do the opposite in the Moon-buggy that the Apollo astronauts drove around in on the moon, because there is no air there.
2006-08-22 08:46:48 · answer #1 · answered by Sciencenut 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Think about it. If it is tethered to something and just floating there the balloon is at rest. OK?
remember that every object tends to stay at rest unless a force acts upon it?
Well, when you and the car start moving forward you would observe the balloon move forward when it has done nothing, until the string or whatever holds it in place tightens and moves the balloon backward. Once you reach a constant the balloon will eventually stay in a fairly upright mode. When you decelerate, the balloon will to what???
2006-08-22 08:51:29 · answer #2 · answered by DanielofD 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The helium has less density then the surrounding air. The air is subject to inertia, and when the car moves, the air tends not to (in a very Newtonian way), pulling it backward relative to the car. The balloon moves forward to accommodate. It's just like, when you accelerate, your body moves backward and the air that was between your body and the seat is pushed forward.
2006-08-22 08:39:10 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Same thing as a fishbowl half full of water on your lap. When you accelerate, the water (denser) opposes the acceleration and the air (lighter) gets pushed forward to make room. The helium filled balloon gets pushed forward by the denser air in the same way. We just normally don't think of air as dense.
2006-08-22 08:48:05 · answer #4 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The force of the air in the car being pushed back is analogous to gravity pulling the air to the earth. Since Helium is lighter than air it is pushed up. Turn it on its side, and the air rushing to the back of the car pushes the balloon "up", which is to the front of the car.
2006-08-22 08:40:37 · answer #5 · answered by borscht 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the car moves forward.
If the car went in reverse the balloon would go backwards
2006-08-22 08:50:22 · answer #6 · answered by beedaduck 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the air within the car starts to move, moving the balloon forward.
2006-08-22 08:38:46 · answer #7 · answered by Sam Iam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the air in your car moves when you accelerate, and the balloon stays still (appearing to make it move forward)
2006-08-22 08:40:29 · answer #8 · answered by Ritch23 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the weight of the string.
The forward motion acts on the string just as it does on you pushing it backwards. Which results in the balloon being pulled downwards and so gently jerked forwards.
2006-08-22 08:41:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically this happens for the same reason that a baloon floats... because it is lighter than air. When you accellerate in a car, all the air flows toward the back, so the baloon, being lighter than air, is forced forward. Conversely, if you brake, the balloon is forced toward the back, turn right it goes to the left, turn left it goes right.
2006-08-22 08:40:01 · answer #10 · answered by alphanum3ric 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋