Understanding Weightlessness: Free Fall and Its Effects in Orbit
Explore the fascinating concept of weightlessness, a condition occurring during free fall when the only force acting on an object is gravity, making it feel as though it has no weight. Learn how standing on a scale in such conditions illustrates this phenomenon, as the scale no longer pushes up against you. In orbital environments, such as on a shuttle, all objects experience free fall along curved paths around the Earth, appearing weightless, with even small pushes causing them to drift. Discover how these principles redefine our understanding of force and motion.
Understanding Weightlessness: Free Fall and Its Effects in Orbit
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Presentation Transcript
1. measuring weight • you stand on a scale and your weight pushes down • scale pushes up with a force equal to your weight • force balances the pull of gravity
2. free fall • when an object is falling and the only force acting on it is gravity
3. weightlessness • condition that occurs in free fall when the weight of an object seems to be zero • scale in an elevator, both person and scale are in a free fall so scale is no longer pushing up on you • you feel weightless because nothing is pushing up on you
4. weightlessness in orbit • when shuttle orbits, all objects in it are in free fall • they fall in a curved path around Earth • this makes objects appear weightless • small push causes objects to drift away
