(February 6, 2009 at 11:30 am)DD_8630 Wrote: Weightlessness in space is caused by a near absence of gravity: you're so far from the Earth (and any other large mass) that the net gravitational field at your position is near zero.
That is patently untrue as evidenced by the fact that NASA astronauts are given experience of weightlessness in a diving plane ... things are weightless in orbit because it is "falling" around the Earth at the same rate as it would be dragged to Earth by Gravity. There are complicating factors such as the lessened gravitational attraction of the Earth, the gravity of the Sun and moon etc. but essentially that is why weightlessness occurs (and why we tend to refer to mass rather than weight because regardless of weight, mass does not change).
Kyu
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Where those who are hacked off with the stupidity of irrational belief can vent their feelings!
Come over to the dark side, we have cookies!
Kyuuketsuki, AngryAtheism Owner & Administrator
