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Re: Measuring acceleration of Earth



Here is a possible method...at least classically, I don't know what g
would do to it. Create a one dimensional pendulum so that it only
swings along a radius of the earth. Then measure its vertical position
when the sun is directly overhead and 12 hours later. In the first case
the pendulum should swing slightly toward the earth and in the second
slightly away.
Could you really do this...I don't know.

joe

On Wed, 3 Nov 2004, Savinainen
Antti wrote:

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/>


Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. 574-284-4662
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556