 | Bovada is the only Internet casino endorsed by the Wizard. Here are my reasons why and my promise of support. |
Physics puzzle
Poll
 | 20 votes (58.82%) | ||
| | 5 votes (14.7%) | ||
| | 1 vote (2.94%) | ||
| | 8 votes (23.52%) |
34 members have voted
| January 6th, 2012 at 1:48:54 PM permalink | |
| weaselman Member since: Jul 11, 2010 Threads: 17 Posts: 1924 | Imagine a helium filled balloon floating inside a car. If the car starts to accelerate, where will the balloon move with respect to the car? "When two people always agree one of them is unnecessary" |
| January 6th, 2012 at 1:59:48 PM permalink | |
| odiousgambit Member since: Nov 9, 2009 Threads: 174 Posts: 2415 | wow, different answers. Since I might feel foolish, I won't say yet how I voted [g] "Baccarat is a game whereby the croupier gathers in money with a flexible sculling oar, then rakes it home. If I could have borrowed his oar I would have stayed." Mark Twain |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:08:34 PM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 14, 2009 Threads: 313 Posts: 6784 | I voted for forward, but I'll explain why after more results come in. It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet. |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:11:38 PM permalink | |
| downtowner Member since: Dec 7, 2011 Threads: 5 Posts: 42 | It has to be backward. I have a perfectly good explanation why. Maybe I'm even right. Or maybe not. |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:11:41 PM permalink | |
| TheNightfly Member since: May 21, 2010 Threads: 22 Posts: 405 | If the car accelerates, the air inside the car will be pushed back through inertia, just as you would be pushed back into your seat. My guess is that as the helium balloon is lighter than the air surrounding it, if the air is pushed back, the balloon will be pushed forward. If the car swerves left, the balloon would also move left as the air through centrifugal force is pushed to the right. Happiness is underrated |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:22:31 PM permalink | |
| MathExtremist Member since: Aug 31, 2010 Threads: 46 Posts: 2521 | I'm drinking a cup of tea as I read this, and there's a small leaf floating in my cup. When I pick up the cup and accelerate it in a straight line, the leaf doesn't move at all (aside from the shaking due to my unsteady hand). I think the balloon doesn't move either. Edit: I assume the car accelerates due to an outside force, and that nothing else inside the car changes (e.g. the position of a driver). "In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice."
-- Girolamo Cardano, 1563 |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:28:27 PM permalink | |
| DJTeddyBear Member since: Nov 2, 2009 Threads: 105 Posts: 5727 | I voted, but will not reveal why I voted as I had. I've seen this question before, albeit it was the car makes a right turn, which way does the balloon move... Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown.
But how much does it cost to knock on wood? |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:35:10 PM permalink | |
| 1BB Member since: Oct 10, 2011 Threads: 7 Posts: 386 | I added to the red line at the top of the poll. I am benbakdoff -Member since: July 13,2010. |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:45:23 PM permalink | |
| Mosca Member since: Dec 14, 2009 Threads: 74 Posts: 1628 | The helium makes the difference. NO KILL I |
| January 6th, 2012 at 2:45:58 PM permalink | |
| Face Member since: Dec 27, 2010 Threads: 37 Posts: 941 |
Ha! I was just thinking something similar. Being that it's winter here, I've noticed that whenever I brake or turn sharp, I can feel a wave of hot air wash over me. And since I've been thinking of that lately... It would move forward. Cold air on the floor runs backwards, displacing the hot air already back there. The hot air would move forward, and since hot air is up high, and the ballonn's up high, it'd get carried along with it. " 'Luck' is probabilty taken personally" - Penn Gilette |
| Bovada is the only Internet casino endorsed by the Wizard. Here are my reasons why and my promise of support. |