Re: Weightlessness: What is 'Free Fall'?

["John S. Denker" <jsd@MONMOUTH.COM>]

At 08:27 AM 5/21/01 -0500, Hasan Fakhruddin wrote:
> I am not too comfortable with the use of the term 'Free Fall' to explain
> weightlessness in satellites. If something is falling its height from the
> ground is decreasing.

1) Free fall straight toward the earth is an _example_ of weightlessness.
2) Orbit is another _example_ of weightlessness.
3) The two are not identical, but they are closely related.  To see how one
can be converted to the other, check out
  http://www.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/newt/applet.
http://www.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/newt/applet.html