Elara is holding a balloon tightly at the bottom of a swimming pool, and then she lets it go. What happens to the balloon after Elara releases it, and why? Respond very briefly.
The balloon will ascend and float upwards to the surface of the water. This is because the balloon, filled with air, is less dense than the surrounding water, and as a result of the buoyant force, which is greater than the weight of the balloon, it will rise to the surface. This is analogous to how objects less dense than the fluid they are submerged in tend to rise up to the top, based on the principles of buoyancy.