Chapter 2: Problem 11

Two astronauts in an orbiting space station "play catch" (throw a ball back and forth to each other). Compared to playing catch on Earth, what effect, if any, does the "weightless" environment have on the process of accelerating (throwing and catching) the ball?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: The main difference in the accelerating process of a ball when thrown and caught in space compared to on Earth is that in space, there is no need to compensate for the gravitational force. In the weightless environment, the ball will continue to move at a constant velocity after it is thrown, whereas on Earth, the ball would be slowed down by gravity and eventually come to a stop or fall downwards.

Step by step solution

Understand the concept of weightlessness in space

In space, objects are in a state of freefall towards the Earth, which creates the feeling of weightlessness. Objects appear to float because they are falling at the same rate as their surroundings. As a result, the effect of gravity is not felt as it is on Earth.

Analyze the effect of weightlessness on the process of accelerating the ball

In the weightless environment, the action of throwing or catching the ball does not have to overcome any gravitational force. Thus, when the astronaut pushes the ball, it only needs to accelerate the mass of the ball in the direction of the force applied and the ball will continue to move at a constant velocity once the force is no longer applied.

Compare the process on Earth

On Earth, when you throw a ball, it has to overcome the gravitational force pulling it downwards. This means that on Earth, the force applied to throw or catch the ball also needs to account for this additional force. Additionally, on Earth, once the force is no longer applied, the ball will not continue to move at a constant velocity, but will be decelerated by the gravitational force, eventually coming to a stop or falling to the ground.

Understand the difference in the accelerating process

The key difference in the accelerating process in space compared to on Earth is that in space, there is no need to compensate for the gravitational force. This means that in the weightless environment, the ball will continue to move at a constant velocity after it is thrown (until another force acts upon it), whereas on Earth, the ball would be slowed down by gravity and eventually come to a stop or fall downwards.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the effect of the weightless environment on the process of accelerating the ball is that it makes it easier to throw and catch the ball, as there is no need to compensate for gravitational force. The ball will continue to move at a constant velocity once thrown, unlike on Earth where it would be slowed down by gravity.

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Two astronauts in an orbiting space station "play catch" (throw a ball back and forth to each other). Compared to playing catch on Earth, what effect, if any, does the "weightless" environment have on the process of accelerating (throwing and catching) the ball?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understand the concept of weightlessness in space

Analyze the effect of weightlessness on the process of accelerating the ball

Compare the process on Earth

Understand the difference in the accelerating process

Conclusion

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