Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

If you release a ball inside a freely-falling elevator it stays in front of you instead of "falling to the floor" because you, the ball, and the elevator are all accelerating downward at the same acceleration, g. If you similarly release a helium-filled balloon, the balloon will--

  1. press against the ceiling

  2. press against the floor

  3. squeeze and blast due to non-uniform air pressure

  4. also stay in front of you
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In free fall, all objects accelerate downward at g, eliminating the effective gravity that causes buoyancy. The helium balloon doesn't rise relative to you because there's no 'up' direction; everything falls together.

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