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Why do astronauts orbiting the earth experience weightlessness even though they are still within the earth's gravitational field?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
When something is orbiting the Earth, it is actually falling toward the Earth. But because a space shuttle has such a great velocity (speed w/ direction) it misses hitting the Earth's surface. Image you throw a Baseball. The baseball follows the path of a curve called a parabola, but the parabola is actually part of an eclipse (elongated circle). Now image if you threw the baseball so hard that when it fell toward the Earth, it actually missed the "edge" of the Earth following the path of the eclipse around the Earth. That baseball would then be launched into orbit. (Of course you would have to throw this baseball at a speed of 11 km/s).
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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Who was the astronaut who experience weightlessness while orbiting the earth?
Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.
True or false. Orbiting astronauts feel weightless because they are beyond the gravitational pull of the earth?
False.Orbiting astronauts feel weightlessness since the gravitational pull of the Earth is balanced by the centrifugal force due to the circular orbital motion, which balance each other out since the spaceship is in orbit. That is, the weightlessness is because of no net force on the astronaut.In a nutshell, if you are orbiting, then irrespective of what height you're doing it, you'd be weightless.
Why orbiting astronauts appear to be floating is that they are experiencing?
Yes that is what they are experiencing.
You are explaining to friends why astronauts feel weightless orbiting in the space shuttle and they respond that they thought gravity was just a lot weaker up there?
It depends. If there is an orbit, the motion may provide a force in the opposite direction as the gravity, leading to weightlessness. Of course, the force goes down as 1/(r*r), where r is the radius of separation.
When astronauts enter earth gravity how close are they?
Astronauts do not completely leave the earth's gravity, they only enter a state of free fall orbiting the earth causing weightlessness. The astronauts that went to the moon technically do not leave the earth's gravity, they simply get close enough that the moon's gravity has a stronger effect than that of the earth's gravity. The distance at which this happens is called the sphere of influence. The moon's sphere of influence is approximately 66 000 km, this would be about 315 000 km away. In the Sun earth system, the earth's sphere of influence is 925 000 km. Therefore if you are within 919 000 km of the earth's surface, it's gravity will be the primary gravitational force experienced. The only exception is if you come within 64 500 km of the moon's surface.
Who was the astronaut who experience weightlessness while orbiting the earth?
Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.Any astronaut would experience weightlessness while orbiting the Earth.
True or false. Orbiting astronauts feel weightless because they are beyond the gravitational pull of the earth?
False.Orbiting astronauts feel weightlessness since the gravitational pull of the Earth is balanced by the centrifugal force due to the circular orbital motion, which balance each other out since the spaceship is in orbit. That is, the weightlessness is because of no net force on the astronaut.In a nutshell, if you are orbiting, then irrespective of what height you're doing it, you'd be weightless.
How do you explain the apparent weightlessness of orbiting objects?
you cant
what is it called when an orbiting astronaut and feels no gravity?
Weightlessness.
What gravitational effects do you experience in an orbiting space station?
None. Inside the space shuttle is regulated.
Why orbiting astronauts appear to be floating is that they are experiencing?
Yes that is what they are experiencing.
What area marks the boundary where the earth's atmosphere is constrained by gravity?
There is no boundary where Earth's atmosphere is constrained by gravity. Many feel that astronauts orbiting above the Earth are weightless because they are far away from Earth's gravity , but weightlessness is actually caused by the free-falling of an object that is in orbit.
Is an orbiting astronaut subject to zero gravitational force?
The fact that he is orbiting means he is being held by the gravitational force of the Earth. If not for that, he would be headed out of the solar system.
Why do astronauts appear to be weightless in a spacecraft orbiting earth?
Free fall
What does gravatational pull do?
Gravitational pull is so the planets keep orbiting around the sun because of its gravitational pull
Why an object becomes weightless in outer spaceaway from any planet or star?
Gravitational forces are much reduced by distance. Also, they would be fairly well balanced in all directions. However, there would probably still be some detectable gravitational force. The other definition of "weightless" is when an object is still in a gravitational field, but in "free fall". That's why astronauts orbiting Earth are "weightless".
You are explaining to friends why astronauts feel weightless orbiting in the space shuttle and they respond that they thought gravity was just a lot weaker up there?
It depends. If there is an orbit, the motion may provide a force in the opposite direction as the gravity, leading to weightlessness. Of course, the force goes down as 1/(r*r), where r is the radius of separation.
