Once the space shuttle is in orbit at a radius R from earths's centre what force does the seat exert on the astronout?
Correct answer: B. Zero newton
- A. mg
- B. Zero newton
- C. m/g
- D. mg/R2
Explanation
Zero. The force of gravity is counterbalanced by the force of angular acceleration.That's how it stays in orbit.Have you ever seen any commentary on astronauts in spaceships? They are floating in a spaceship too, with no force.
This question appeared on the ETEA MDCAT 2005 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
Report an error
The more specific you are, the faster it gets fixed. A source beats an opinion.
Prefer email? support@testustad.com
About Weightlessness and Artificial Gravity
Weightlessness means the apparent weight or supporting force on an object is zero, as in free fall or an orbiting spacecraft, not that gravity has disappeared. Artificial gravity is produced by centripetal acceleration, usually through rotation. Questions compare gravitational force, normal reaction, orbital motion and the sensation of weight.
Practise Gravitation
265 free Gravitation MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.
Discussion
Stuck on an option, or know a faster way to get there? Ask or explain it here.
No comments yet. Be the first to explain this one.
Exams that ask Physics questions like this
Physics is on 11 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.
More Weightlessness and Artificial Gravity questions
A 100kg man is standing in an elevator, which accidentally falls freely. What will be the weight of the person in the freely falling elevator (take g=10 m/s^2)
When a lift is accelerated upward, the apparent weight of an object in it will be:
When the spaceship rotates with _ frequency, the artificial gravity like earth is produced to inhabitants of the ship
The weight of a pilot diving down with an acceleration of 9.8ms -2 will become:
An object in a satellite orbiting around the Earth is weightless because:
The pilot weighting 686N dived down with an acceleration of 9.8m sec-2 its apparent weight is