A hydrogen balloon released on the moon from a height will

Options

A. move up with acceleration `9.8 "ms"^(-2)`
B. move down with acceleration 9.8 `ms^(-2)`
C. move down with acceleration `(9.8)/6 "ms"^(-2)`
D. neither move up nor move down

Answer

To solve the problem regarding the behavior of a hydrogen balloon released on the moon, we need to analyze the forces acting on the balloon and the effects of gravity in the lunar environment. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Understand the Environment
The question states that the balloon is released on the moon. Unlike Earth, the moon has a significantly lower gravitational pull. The acceleration due to gravity on the moon is approximately 1/6th that of Earth.

**Hint:** Remember that the moon's gravitational force is weaker than Earth's, which affects how objects behave when released.

### Step 2: Identify the Acceleration Due to Gravity
On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s². Therefore, the acceleration due to gravity on the moon (g_moon) can be calculated as follows:
\[ g_{moon} = \frac{g_{earth}}{6} = \frac{9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2}{6} \]

**Hint:** Calculate the value of \( g_{moon} \) to understand how gravity influences the balloon.

### Step 3: Calculate the Acceleration on the Moon
Now, let’s compute the value of \( g_{moon} \):
\[ g_{moon} = \frac{9.8}{6} \approx 1.63 \, \text{m/s}^2 \]

**Hint:** This value indicates how fast the balloon will accelerate downwards once released.

### Step 4: Analyze the Forces Acting on the Balloon
When the hydrogen balloon is released, the only force acting on it is the gravitational force pulling it downwards. Since there is no atmosphere on the moon, there is no buoyant force acting on the balloon to counteract gravity.

**Hint:** Consider how the lack of atmosphere affects the behavior of the balloon compared to Earth.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the above analysis, the hydrogen balloon will move downwards with an acceleration of approximately 1.63 m/s² (which is \( 9.8/6 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)). Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the balloon will move down with an acceleration of \( 9.8/6 \, \text{m/s}^2 \).

**Final Answer:** The balloon will move down with an acceleration of \( \frac{9.8}{6} \, \text{m/s}^2 \).