A sealed tank filled with water is traveling horizontally at a steady speed. Inside the tank, there is a steel ball and an air bubble. When the tank slows down in the horizontal direction, which of the following occurs?

Explanation

When the tank decelerates, the denser steel ball tends to continue moving forward due to inertia, causing it to shift toward the front. Conversely, the lighter air bubble moves toward the rear because it is buoyant relative to the water. Therefore, the correct scenario is the steel ball moving forward and the air bubble moving backward.