- #1
- 4,652
- 37
This was a bonus question on my astronomy homework, but my knowledge of basic physics is so incredibly limited that I am really struggling with it. It's bugging me because I'd just really like to know how this works.
"Given that Jupiter has no solid surface, how could you weigh yourself on Jupiter?"
Well, first I calculated acceleration of gravity on Jupiter and I got about 25 meters per second squared.
Then, I thought about riding in an elevator on Earth and I know that if you are accelerating downward, your weight is decreasing. If you are plummeting at 9.8 m/s^2 (Earth's acceleration of gravity) then you should feel no weight all. (I think ..?)
If the elevator starts accelerating back up very fast, your weight is going to increase.
My feeling is that you would need to be accelerating upward (in a special space-craft, maybe)at a certain rate to take a measure of your weight on Jupiter. But I am kinda lost now.
Thanks in advance for your help :)
"Given that Jupiter has no solid surface, how could you weigh yourself on Jupiter?"
Well, first I calculated acceleration of gravity on Jupiter and I got about 25 meters per second squared.
Then, I thought about riding in an elevator on Earth and I know that if you are accelerating downward, your weight is decreasing. If you are plummeting at 9.8 m/s^2 (Earth's acceleration of gravity) then you should feel no weight all. (I think ..?)
If the elevator starts accelerating back up very fast, your weight is going to increase.
My feeling is that you would need to be accelerating upward (in a special space-craft, maybe)at a certain rate to take a measure of your weight on Jupiter. But I am kinda lost now.
Thanks in advance for your help :)