Re: What is weight? (was Re: Internal or external?)

[David Kardelis <dkard@CEU.EDU>]

Actually, balance  is sensed by fluid in the ear which relies on on "weight"
to keep it in the right place and orientation.
In weightless situations would the ear not register up and down correctly.
I imagine much like sea sickness. The eyes say one thing, the ears another
about the motion and orientation of the body. Major disagreement causes
nausea.

I've never have sky dived, but the first several seconds are frightening
since there is the senstation of falling, but once terminal velocity is
reached a very peaceful and relaxing fall occurs.  In fact you could forget
to pull your chute since there is no feel of falling.  Or so my friends that
have sky dived tell me.
dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joel Rauber [SMTP:Joel_Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 2:28 PM
> To:   PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject:      Re: What is weight? (was Re: Internal or external?)
>
> You folks, you keep writing stuff and can't resist commenting on:
>
> Leigh wrote in part:
> > The feel of weightlessness (and, consequently, weight) is more
> > than the reaction force exerted by the floor. As I pointed out,
> > it's not the same as floating neutrally bouyant. If you don't
> > understand that, next time you go to the swimming pool, jump
> > feet first off the ten meter tower. You'll feel your testicles
> > as weightless - dramatically! It is quite a deterrent to going
> > off feet first; I much prefer to go head first.
>
> I always preferred jumping off the the high dive feet first rather than
> head
> first.  (Any jokes while not appreciated, may never-the-less be laughed
> at).
>
> > Many of my students fly experiments on the "vomit comet"
> > (Canada is committed to pay for more flights than it can fill).
> > I am told that half of them get sick. Fortunately this does not
> > happen in our swimming pool at SFU when people float.
>
> Leigh, are you sure you aren't confusing the physiological affects of
> being
> weightless with sudden changes from being weightless to being weightful
> and
> vice versa?  I'm not so sure that the vomiting is due to the weightless
> part
> of the roller coaster; I guess it mostly is caused by the sudden changes
> in
> weightfullness
>
> Joel