The Mystery of the Rising Hot Air Balloon

What happens to the velocity of a hot air balloon when sandbags are dropped?

a. 15 m/s
b. 18 m/s
c. 20 m/s
d. 25 m/s

Answer:

Final answer: The question related to the change in velocity of a hot air balloon after dropping sandbags cannot be answered accurately without additional information or assumptions, as it relies on the principle of conservation of momentum and ignores factors such as air resistance.

Explanation: The question involves a hot air balloon and the effects of dropping mass on the balloon's velocity. According to the principle of conservation of momentum, when the sandbags are dropped and the mass of the balloon system decreases, the velocity of the balloon will increase if we assume no external forces like air resistance.

However, to determine the new velocity of the balloon after dropping the sandbags, we would need to apply this principle, but the initial question lacks sufficient information such as the velocity of the sandbags when released and assumes no air resistance to provide a full calculation. Therefore, with the given details, we cannot accurately determine the new velocity of the hot air balloon.