Re: [Phys-l] feeling gravity, or not

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

At 04:59 PM 10/30/2006,
 Prof  Mike Edmiston (sometimes called Ed in error) wrote:

> ...the rocket-driven
> hovering platform example ....allows us to turn off the
> rockets, and we feel a difference.  On the other hand,
> turn off gravity, and we don't feel a difference.
> ...
> We are standing on earth, and we turn off gravity.  Do we feel this?  I
> say that the only way we wouldn't feel this would be if earth would fly
> apart so that the chunk we are standing on would accelerate away from
> the center of earth with acceleration g.  Without the acceleration of an
> "exploding earth" how could we not feel that gravity turned off.
>
> Of course these are only thought experiments, but if we are allowed to
> imagine turning gravity off, then standing on a hovering rocket platform
> is not equivalent to standing on earth.
>
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.

Quite - but if Mike expects the bolder, more assertive members
 of the list to respond with
"Oh yes, how wrong I was: you're obviously right!"...
    I fancy he will wait a long, long time.

:-)


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!