A child sits in the back seat of the family car, holding a helium balloon on a string. All the windows are closed. As the car accelerates forward, does the balloon tilt forward, tilt backwards, or remain in the same place?
As the car accelerates forward, the balloon on its string tilts forward, too. Inertial forces push backwards in the car, pressing the people against their seats (an effect with which we are all familiar), but also compressing the air at the back of the closed car. This increased air pressure at the rear pushes the balloon forward. For similar reasons, as the car rounds a curve, the balloon tilts into the curve.
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