Re: Measuring acceleration of Earth

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

If you weigh something very accurately, at the equator, and at both Noon and
Midnight, I get that there should be about a .003% difference due to the
relative speed difference in the v^2/R term for the earth's motion around
the sun.  Perhaps such a measurement could be used?

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Savinainen Antti" <antti.savinainen@KUOPIO.FI>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 7:30 AM
Subject: Measuring acceleration of Earth


> Hi all,
>
> how can the acceleration of Earth with respect to Sun be measured? Of
> course,
> it is quite easy to *calculate* an estimate using high school physics but
> I
> wonder what methods might exist for a "direct" measurement of the
> acceleration?
> By "direct" I mean how to measure it if we didn't know that Earth revolves
> around Sun :-).
>
> Also, how can we measure "directly" the acceleration due to rotation of
> Earth
> around its axis, say, on the equator. For instance, Foucalt's pendulum and
> the
> coriolis effects can be used for this purpose but there must be other ways
> as
> well?
>
> We don't "feel" directly either of the above accelerations whereas in a
> merry-go-around acceleration (or more properly: the effects of
> non-inertial
> reference frame) can be "felt".
> If I remember correctly this was used as an argument against the
> Copernican/Keplerian model in the history of science.
>
> Regards,
>
> Antti
>
> Antti Savinainen, Ph.D.
> Senior Lecturer in Physics and Mathematics
> Kuopion Lyseo High School
> Puijonkatu 18
> 70110 Kuopio, FINLAND
> E-mail: antti.savinainen@kuopio.fi
> Personal web page:<http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/physics/>