Table of Contents
- 1 When astronauts orbit the Earth in space they are weightless describe why they are weightless and how the term zero gravity is a misnomer?
- 2 Why are astronauts weightless as they orbit Earth?
- 3 What is free fall and why does it make you weightless briefly describe why astronauts are weightless in the International space station?
- 4 What is a free fall orbit?
When astronauts orbit the Earth in space they are weightless describe why they are weightless and how the term zero gravity is a misnomer?
Objects in Earth orbit have to travel at least 28,160 km/h (17,500 mph). So, as they accelerate towards the Earth, the Earth curves away beneath them and they never get any closer. Since the astronauts have the same acceleration as the space station, they feel weightless.
Why are astronauts weightless as they orbit Earth?
(B) An astronaut orbiting the Earth does feel weightless because there is no ground or normal force to counteract the force of gravity. Thus, the astronaut is falling. However, since the astronaut is also moving forward super fast, he/she continuously falls around the Earth rather than crashing into the Earth.
What is it like to be weightless in space?
Absence of gravity is known as weightlessness. It is like floating, the feeling you get when a roller coaster suddenly goes down. Astronauts on the International Space Station are in free fall all the time. The astronauts inside it experience weightlessness, floating around in no particular direction.
Why do you feel weightless on the moon quizlet?
Astronauts appear to weightless on the moon because there is no gravity, or there is less gravity than there is on Earth. The strength of gravitational force is dependent on the masses of and distance between two objects.
What is free fall and why does it make you weightless briefly describe why astronauts are weightless in the International space station?
Briefly explain why astronauts are weightless in the space station. Free-fall: falling without any resistance to slow you down. The floor drops away at the same rate that you fall, allowing you to float freely above it, causing you to be weightless.
What is a free fall orbit?
free-fall, in mechanics, state of a body that moves freely in any manner in the presence of gravity. The planets, for example, are in free-fall in the gravitational field of the Sun. Newton’s laws show that a body in free-fall follows an orbit such that the sum of the gravitational and inertial forces equals zero.