Re: [Phys-l] Weightless (running around in circles)

["Robert Cohen" <Robert.Cohen@po-box.esu.edu>]

What is the weight of a frog that is "floating" in a
magnetic/gravitational field?  
<http://www.hfml.ru.nl/froglev.html>

If the frog was holding an accelerometer, what would the meter read?

----------------------------------------------------------
Robert A. Cohen, Department of Physics, East Stroudsburg University 
570.422.3428   rcohen@po-box.esu.edu    http://www.esu.edu/~bbq 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu 
> John Denker
> Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 6:00 PM
>
> On 11/22/2006 05:19 PM, Richard Tarara wrote:
>
> > If I strap the accelerometer to me, as I sit here, I would think it 
> > would read zero.
>
> No.  Not for real-world accelerometers ... as you can see here:
>   http://www.airworlduk.com/2004pix/accel.jpg
>
> I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  The equivalence 
> principle is not just some hoity-toity abstraction.  In 
> aviation, it is a fact of everyday life.
>
> The Newtonian gravitational acceleration g_N is just one 
> contribution to the total (Einsteinian) acceleration g_E.
>
> In practical applications, when people talk of acceleration, 
> they almost always speak of the total acceleration, g_E.  
> This is so thoroughly conventional that in practice the 
> question never comes up.  It is just taken for granted that 
> the GM/r^2 acceleration is to be treated on the same footing 
> as all other accelerations.
>
> > Therefore I'm weightless?
>
> No.