Question

Angela blows air into a balloon and holds the end of it closed with her fingers. When she lets go of the end of the balloon, Angela observes that the release of the air propels the balloon. The propelling of the balloon from the release of the air is an example of which of Newton's laws?

a) The Force of an object is the product of its mass multiplied by its acceleration.
b) An object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.
c) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
d) A force of attraction exists between any two objects with mass.

Answer 1

The balloon being propelled by the release of air is an example of Newton's third law, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The propelling of the balloon when Angela releases the air is an example of Newton's third law, which states: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." As air is forced out of the balloon in one direction, the balloon is propelled in the opposite direction. This is similar to the thrust experienced by rockets, which propel themselves forward by expelling gas backward at high velocity, and birds, which fly by forcing air downward and backward to gain lift and move forward. Other common experiences like a car accelerating due to the ground pushing forward on the drive wheels as they push backward, or the recoil of a gun as a bullet is accelerated, also illustrate Newton's third law in action.