3
lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 3 • Physical Science

Juan inflates a balloon and then releases its end to let the balloon go free as air comes out. The balloon then flies around the room. Which statement describes how this example is an application of Newton’s laws of motion?

Answer
A
According to Newton’s third law of motion, the balloon is pushed forward as the air is forced out.
B
According to Newton’s first law of motion, the balloon continues moving until the forces on it are unbalanced.
C
According to Newton’s third law of motion, the balloon resists any change of motion unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.
D
According to Newton’s second law of motion, the balloon exerts a force on the air, which exerts a force back on the balloon.

Explanation

As air rushes out of the balloon in one direction, the balloon is pushed in the opposite direction. This is Newton’s third law: the balloon pushes on the air, and the air pushes back on the balloon with an equal and opposite force. Choice A correctly describes this; choice D names the same interaction but incorrectly calls it Newton’s second law.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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