Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
From: Rauber, Joelartifacts
David wrote and Marlow cheered
BTW, since gravitational forces (locally) are not "real" but are
ofgravitational
the use of a noninertial frame used to describe the physics, I prefer*not*
to define the concept of "weight" as (the magnitude of) the
onforce on an object. Such a definition makes an object's weight depend
thefall
coordinate system of the observer. I prefer to define weight as whatothers
define as "apparent weight" which is simply the magnitude of the
*non*gravitational force of support on a body which prevents a free
state).state (or equivalently, which deflects the motion from a free fall
andThis definition of weight is independent of the frame of the observer
anagrees with our usual sensations of weight.
I too define weight in this fashion, although for simpler reasons than
talking about non-inertial frames, and free-fall frames etc.
Simply put, if you define weight to be the gravitational force acting on
object; how do you explain why we say astronoughts are weigtless while
orbiting the earth, since they still have a gravitational force acting on
them.
Therefore defining weight as the magnitude of the non-gravitational force
present balancing the gravitational force on the scale used, relieves one
from the above conundrum and allows one to consistantly understand theterm
weightless up on the space-shuttle
Joel