How can weightless Astronauts be weighed?

• Autores: Jesús Carnicer Murillo, Francisco Reyes, Jenaro Guisasola Aranzábal
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 50, Nº. 1, 2012, pág. 12
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In introductory physics courses, within the context of studying Newton's laws, it is common to consider the problem of a body's �weight� when it is in free fall. The solution shows that the �weight� is zero1 and this leads to a discussion of the concept of weight.2,3 There are permanent free-fall situations such as astronauts in a spacecraft orbiting the Earth, for example, the International Space Station. However, it is important for an astronaut's health to control any variations in his/her body mass while on the orbiting spacecraft. This paper examines the following scenario: How can astronauts be weighed while in free fall