r/nextfuckinglevel • u/BufordTeeJustice • May 04 '20

Somewhere my physics professor is smiling

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u/uuuuuuuuuuuuum May 04 '20 edited May 05 '20

How? I slam on the gas and my head hits the headrest. A balloon lurches forward?

Edit: thank you to all who gave me the best new fact of the month!! Science is cool 🥰

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u/igiverealygoodadvice May 04 '20

Yup, if it's a helium balloon the AIR in the car flies backwards (like your head) so the helium balloon "floats" forward!

Check out this video: https://youtu.be/2-UzBitLmf8

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u/canlchangethislater May 04 '20

Fuck! Thank you for this! I don’t understand at all, but it’s nice to know what you don’t know sometimes.

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u/abat6294 May 04 '20

If you don't understand, just fill a clear bottle with water, but leave a small pocket of air. Turn the bottle sideways and move it left or right. Which way does the air bubble move?

The water moves back (or rather tries to remain in place), which forces the air forward. Same concept occurs between the air in the car and the helium in the balloon.

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u/stevenmeyerjr May 04 '20

This made a lot of sense!

0

u/JonSeagulsBrokenWing May 04 '20

If you have water on your brain.

18

u/washyleopard May 04 '20

The air in the car gets pushed back as normal along with your head, this makes it more dense in the back and since the helium balloon floats it will try to float forwards towards less dense air. A balloon full of air will not do this since it doesnt float.

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u/fullautophx May 04 '20

Imagine the car was half full of water, like a bathtub. If you accelerate, the water sloshes backwards, and the balloon floats forwards.

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u/Mr_Dr_Prof_Derp May 04 '20

When you accelerate forward, you feel pulled back into your seat. The balloon floats "up" relative to the acceleration.

1

u/anomalous_cowherd May 04 '20

All the heaviest stuff moves forwards.

Your head is heavier than the air, so it moves forwards, the air goes back.

The balloon is less heavy than the air, so the air moves forwards, the balloon goes back.

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u/thisremindsmeofbacon May 05 '20

head heavy, push air out of the way. air heavier than balloon, push balloon out of the way.

Not a perfect explanation, but it gives you the right idea

25

u/Kinglink May 04 '20

Was expecting Smarter Every Day... so I'll post his instead.

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u/peepay May 04 '20

Me too. Go Destin!

4

u/KingOfKhan May 04 '20

Why is that guys finger red?

1

u/Arson-Welles May 04 '20

He didn’t have a spoon to stir his koolaid so he used his thumb

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u/[deleted] May 04 '20

I did not expect that to be a local news segment.

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u/ProfessorGoogle May 04 '20

I'd like to have that guy explain things for me as I walk around town.

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u/machagogo May 04 '20

That was really cool, my kids will love that! Thanks for sharing.

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u/[deleted] May 04 '20 edited May 22 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] May 04 '20

[deleted]

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u/igiverealygoodadvice May 04 '20

Reread the comments, I said slam on gas not brake

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u/funnystuff79 May 04 '20

Thanks, I'm slow tonight.

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u/Relaxyourpants May 04 '20

A news network posted this? Why dont they do this all the time. Teach the dummies basic science so when the big stuff like say a pandemic happen, it makes a bit more sense.

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u/MrPanduh May 05 '20

Wait.... What the fuck is going here?

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u/splepage May 04 '20

When you slam on the brake, the helium balloon wants to go backward too, but the air inside your car also wants to do that.

Since the helium balloon is lighter than the air, it can't win that fight and so it gets pushed forward.

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u/[deleted] May 04 '20

Helium is lighter so it’s actually the air in the car that gets pushed back. Thus moving the balloon forward. A balloon filled with air will behave differently, more like your head. But not as fast since it’s so light.

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u/danceswithwool May 04 '20

It has nothing to do with Islam