Yet for a person on the space station, the faster it travels the less they weigh?
2007-01-31 12:25:41 · 7 answers · asked by hintzruby 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Sounds like you're a bit confused. Your question is a little off, but lets see if we can figure this out.
If the earth spun faster than it does today, centrifugal force at the equator would slightly "lift" you off the surface, making you weigh a tiny bit less than today, and a tiny bit less than you would as you move away from the equator.
On a space station, if its spinning on its axis the idea is that the people live inside the thing and the centrifugal force being created tries to "throw" the people outward, but the walls stop them.
Try this: tie a rock to a piece of string and whirl it around your head. The faster you turn it, the "heavier" the rock seems to be (that is the effect of centrifugal force).
If you image you're on the outer edge of the rock, it would seem like you're been thrown off the rock away from the centre (the you twirling it around your head).
If you image you're on the inner edge of the rock, it would seem like you were being forced into the rock and you would weigh more than when the rock wasn't moving.
See? Pretty simple once you can picture it.
2007-01-31 12:33:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The first part of your question I understand. The second part to your question dose not make any sense.
The reason why we weigh less is because we are being spun away from the center of gravity.
For example. If you were to lay down on a merry go round with your feet touching the center pole. then went round fast your weight is shifted towards your head. This is the same reason why satellites can stay up for so long. they are spinning around the planet just fast enough to overcome the effects of gravity.
The gravity on the space station is produced artificially by spinning the station. The faster the station spins, the heaver the astronauts become.
2007-01-31 13:28:49 · answer #2 · answered by wernerslave 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Looks like you're asking the same question for both earth and space station. The answer is centrifugal force. Try googling it for a detailed explanation.
2007-01-31 12:31:04 · answer #3 · answered by MamaBean 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of the earth spinning is actually not that fast. People weight less at the equator not because of spinning, but because the earth is slight wider than it is from pole to pole. A person in a space station weights less because it is farther away.
According to Einstein, something actually gains weight as it speeds up, but this is totally neglible until you start moving at speeds near the speed of light.
2007-01-31 12:32:13 · answer #4 · answered by Bauercvhs 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
we are status on the exterior of the exterior of the earth the faster it spins the extra we are being pushed removed from the middle of earth. the area station, people are status interior the exterior of the station the faster it spins the extra they are being pushed against the exterior
2016-12-16 18:04:05 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would iimagine that centripital force would serve to counteract some of the gravity.
2007-01-31 12:31:17 · answer #6 · answered by David W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps the pull of gravity doesn't have as much of a hold on the object.
2007-01-31 12:29:35 · answer #7 · answered by Shifter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋