A balloon dragged a motorcycle to the top of a pole, in São Paulo, in the Aricanduva region, this Monday (22). The unusual fact was reported by the owner of the motorcycle, Kauê Ribeiro (20), who noticed the accident that occurred around 3:30 in the morning.
He told the CNN that the balloon passed by his house and one of its ropes ended up getting tangled in the motorcycle, and hit the motorcyclist’s mother’s car, which overturned, in turn hitting a neighbor’s car.
A CNN spoke with physics professor Marcelo Soares Rubinho, who explained, from a physical point of view, how this unusual event could have happened.
How a balloon works
The teacher begins by explaining how a balloon can fly. This happens because the device gathers air heated by flames into a small space. When the air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense.
The less dense air inside the envelope creates an upward “pressure.” This buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity pulling the balloon down. It’s as if the hot air balloon is floating on the cooler, denser air around it, much like a ship floats on water.
The expert explains that what matters is the weight — which moves downwards — and its relationship with the buoyancy — which moves upwards. He explains that when the balloon is stationary in the air, the result is the equality of these two values.
About the accident
The curious fact, according to the physics teacher, is how the balloon descended and, apparently, rose again, dragging the vehicles. He begins by applying the relationship between the density of the object (the balloon) and that of the fluid (air). When the density of the object is greater, it descends.
“Most likely the air inside the balloon cooled down, and it descended. This happens momentarily, but at another point it may find a position that facilitates heating, and it rises again,” explains Professor Marcelo Soares Rubinho.
Although the images are eye-catching, physics guarantees that this maneuver of lifting a motorcycle — weighing approximately 120 kg — is not at all impossible.
The physics teacher calculated that a balloon with a diameter greater than 9 meters would be able to lift a motorcycle of that weight. In a preliminary analysis of the images of the balloon, the diameter of the balloon appears to be at least twice that needed to carry that weight.
“Given the size of the balloon, we can see that it is a large balloon, so we can say that given its damage capacity, it could be much worse,” the professor points out.
According to reports, the accident happened because the balloon’s guide — a rope used to stabilize and secure the device — got tangled with one of the motorcycle’s parts.
Motorcycle owner asks for help
In other posts, Kaue said that the vehicle was his work tool. He says that due to the damage, he will be unable to work as a motorcycle courier for a few days. The young man’s mother also used the car for work.
The delivery boy also published the results of the damage to the motorcycle and the cars that were hit. Watch:
Source: CNN Brasil
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