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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/>