Astronauts in an orbiting spacecraft often describe their condition as ‘weightlessness’.
PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Force and Translational Dynamics · Force and Translational Dynamics
Problem
Astronauts in an orbiting spacecraft often describe their condition as ‘weightlessness’.
(a) Explain why the astronauts experience weightlessness even though the gravitational field of the Earth at the orbital height is not zero.
(b) Distinguish between ‘zero gravitational field’ and ‘weightlessness’ with one example of each.
(c) Describe what would happen to the apparent weight of an astronaut if the spacecraft’s orbital motion were suddenly stopped (neglect air resistance).