Re: Weight and Mass

[scott <sgoelzer@EARTHLINK.NET>]

on 9/24/01 2:01 PM, William Beaty at billb@ESKIMO.COM wrote:

> On Mon, 24 Sep 2001, Tina Fanetti wrote:
>
> > I thought I had explained clearly what the difference between weight =
> > and mass was to my students.  I asked them to write down any question=
> > s they had at the end of class and some one wants me to explain the d=
> > ifference again with examples.
>
> Climb up to the top of a ladder which is 300 miles tall.  Calculate your
> weight.  If I recall, it will be about 15% less than at the surface of the
> Earth.  While you're up there you see the space shuttle go by.  It is
> orbiting slightly below you.  The crew is floating around inside!
>
> Weight changes as you dive off a diving board, run up and down stairs, or
> even jump up and down.  Mass does not.
>
> Another one:
>
> I don't need to go on a diet, I just need to go live on the
> International Space Station. My weight there will be drastically
> reduced.
>
> Yeah, but I'll be just as paunchy as ever, since my mass has not changed.


Try this silly joke (wish I knew the source) to reinforce this:

"You're not less of a person because you're an astronaut."

It's also very important to explain that the _feeling or sensation_ of
weight comes from the floor pushing up.


*****************************
S.Goelzer
Physics Teacher
Coe - Brown Northwood Academy
Northwood NH 03261
603-942-5531 ext43
sgoelzer@coebrownacademy.com
*****************************