artificial gravity

[whois]

what would life be like on a ferris wheel type of space station?
how would simple games like pitch and catch be affected?

 

[morse86]

Is the "Hollywood" portrayal of a space station even real?

 

[essentialsaltes]

If the radius of the station was verrry large, you might not notice any difference.

If the radius is small, there will be differences in the 'gravity' experienced by your head and your feet, which would probably be disconcerting. Not to mention the fact that the curvature of the station might make it so you can't see the person you want to throw the ball to.

 

[whois]

If the radius of the station was verrry large, you might not notice any difference.

If the radius is small, there will be differences in the 'gravity' experienced by your head and your feet, which would probably be disconcerting. Not to mention the fact that the curvature of the station might make it so you can't see the person you want to throw the ball to.

i picked pitch and catch because it offers some interesting scenarios.
for example, throwing the ball against the rotation, at the right speed and angle, will make the ball appear to move in an upward arc, swinging all around the station until caught by the catcher even though both are only a few feet apart.
another interesting question, if thrown at the right speed and angle, could the ball appear to hang motionless in mid air?

pouring water from a pitcher would display interesting properties too.
the water wont pour straight down, but at an angle.

another thing, what about lifting heavy objects in a short radius station?
would they fly out of your hands if lifted high enough?

what about walking, would making a 90 degree turn cause any strange sensations?

what about running?
you could probably run against the rotation, but would become weightless running with it.
then again, you might become too heavy if you ran against the rotation, maybe even heavy enough to break a bone.

 

[Soyeong]

Wringing out a Water Soaked Washcloth in Space | CSA Science HD Video

 

[Armoured]

If the radius of the station was verrry large, you might not notice any difference.

If the radius is small, there will be differences in the 'gravity' experienced by your head and your feet, which would probably be disconcerting. Not to mention the fact that the curvature of the station might make it so you can't see the person you want to throw the ball to.

I always wondered how the gravity is contained once contact is lost. Imagine someone "jumping" inside a centripetal gravity station. If the jump was powerful enough to lift them off the floor, what force would overcome the upward motion and cause them to "fall"? Been wondering about that since I first read Rendezvous With Rama in the 90s.

 

[whois]

Wringing out a Water Soaked Washcloth in Space | CSA Science HD Video

i'm not sure the space station applies, because it isn't rotating.
i specifically picked the ferris wheel type because it offers some interesting scenarios.
like the poster up there said, long radius stations will eliminate, or at least lessen, some of these effects, but not all of them.

BTW, i can't view videos because of script blocking in my browser.
i can google a video title and watch it on youtube, but if i click a link to it, it wont play.
not sure whether that is a result of no script or my hosts file.

 

[whois]

I always wondered how the gravity is contained once contact is lost. Imagine someone "jumping" inside a centripetal gravity station. If the jump was powerful enough to lift them off the floor, what force would overcome the upward motion and cause them to "fall"? Been wondering about that since I first read Rendezvous With Rama in the 90s.

not only are you going "up" but you are also moving in the direction of rotation.
but it's another interesting scenario, being caught in mid air like that.
another thing to remember is the stations orbit.
if the station wasn't orbiting anything, you could be out of luck, or wait for the firetrucks to arrive to rescue you.
oh man, now that's interesting.

 

[Soyeong]

i'm not sure the space station applies, because it isn't rotating.
i specifically picked the ferris wheel type because it offers some interesting scenarios.
like the poster up there said, long radius stations will eliminate, or at least lessen, some of these effects, but not all of them.

BTW, i can't view videos because of script blocking in my browser.
i can google a video title and watch it on youtube, but if i click a link to it, it wont play.
not sure whether that is a result of no script or my hosts file.

Just search for "Wringing out a Water Soaked Washcloth in Space". It's not quote what you're asking about, but talking about pouring water reminded me of it.

 

[Armoured]

not only are you going "up" but you are also moving in the direction of rotation.
but it's another interesting scenario, being caught in mid air like that.
another thing to remember is the stations orbit.
if the station wasn't orbiting anything, you could be out of luck, or wait for the firetrucks to arrive to rescue you.
oh man, now that's interesting.

I appreciate how momentum is maintained, e.g. why flying insects don't get squished against the back window of the car, but as I understand it, jumping inside the station, or even decsending from the axis of rotation, would negate the momentum.

 

[whois]

I appreciate how momentum is maintained, e.g. why flying insects don't get squished against the back window of the car, but as I understand it, jumping inside the station, or even decsending from the axis of rotation, would negate the momentum.

definitely an interesting scenario, because there is no real gravity.
anytime you are "disconnected" from the station, you are weightless.

 

[Oafman]

Jumping doesn't change the fact that you retain sideways momentum, so the station floor will move up to meet your feet, giving the impression that you fell back down to it.

The big difference though is that you would 'fall' back down in a curve, not a straight line.

When I was a kid an amusement park near me had a ride called the Gravitron. It was just a cylinder where everyone stood against the edge, and then it spun, creating centrifugal force (which doesn't exist but appears to) pushing everyone back against the outer wall. It was a pretty good equivalent of an artificial gravity space station. With enough effort I'm sure you could push yourself off the wall, like you could jump on a station, but in both cases your momentum will quickly take you back to the outer wall. But it will have turned underneath you while you were airborne, so you'll land in a different place from where you jumped. Giving the impression that you fell in a curve.

 

[Armoured]

Jumping doesn't change the fact that you retain sideways momentum, so the station floor will move up to meet your feet, giving the impression that you fell back down to it.

The big difference though is that you would 'fall' back down in a curve, not a straight line.

When I was a kid an amusement park near me had a ride called the Gravitron. It was just a cylinder where everyone stood against the edge, and then it spun, creating centrifugal force (which doesn't exist but appears to) pushing everyone back against the outer wall. It was a pretty good equivalent of an artificial gravity space station. With enough effort I'm sure you could push yourself off the wall, like you could jump on a station, but in both cases your momentum will quickly take you back to the outer wall. But it will have turned underneath you while you were airborne, so you'll land in a different place from where you jumped. Giving the impression that you fell in a curve.

That makes sense, when you put it like that. Still imagine someone floating above the floor after descending from the axis, although the floor would move under them.

 

[whois]

Jumping doesn't change the fact that you retain sideways momentum, so the station floor will move up to meet your feet, giving the impression that you fell back down to it.

that would be my guess, but it wouldn't be in the same spot you started from.

The big difference though is that you would 'fall' back down in a curve, not a straight line.

i disagree with this.
it would appear to be a curve to the observers on the station, but it would be a straight line to those outside, in space.
if you cut the string, the object follows a straight line.

 

[Dave-W]

If the radius of the station was verrry large, you might not notice any difference.

If the radius is small, there will be differences in the 'gravity' experienced by your head and your feet, which would probably be disconcerting. Not to mention the fact that the curvature of the station might make it so you can't see the person you want to throw the ball to.

For a view of that, watch the classic SF movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. Early on there is a guy running laps on the donut shaped section of the spacecraft. (small)

 

[davedajobauk]

that would be my guess, but it wouldn't be in the same spot you started from.

i disagree with this.
it would appear to be a curve to the observers on the station, but it would be a straight line to those outside, in space.
if you cut the string, the object follows a straight line.

There is 'something wrong with this 'thinking'

It wouldn't be, like you are on 'a moving pavement'
You are (when standing still) moving in conjunction with the floor (?) **
and so, will continue moving with the floor while you are in the vertical jump (?)

??

** I can give you another example of this

You are travelling on a train (at High Speed)

You jump up vertically, and will LAND upon the same spot ??
iow: you will NOT lose the velocity you SHARE with the train
while you are in the air

 

[Armoured]

There is 'something wrong with this 'thinking'

It wouldn't be, like you are on 'a moving pavement'
You are (when standing still) moving in conjunction with the floor (?) **
and so, will continue moving with the floor while you are in the vertical jump (?)

??

** I can give you another example of this

You are travelling on a train (at High Speed)

You jump up vertically, and will LAND upon the same spot ??
iow: you will NOT lose the velocity you SHARE with the train
while you are in the air

No, but in your example, you are pulled back to the train's floor by the Earth's gravity, not the trains momentum. In a centripetal space station, you'd maintain your angular momentum, but you wouldn't be pulled back to the floor.

 

[davedajobauk]

No, but in your example, you are pulled back to the train's floor by the Earth's gravity, not the trains momentum. In a centripetal space station, you'd maintain your angular momentum, but you wouldn't be pulled back to the floor.

Oh, I am sure you would... we are talking CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

¬ like the water in a bucket you are swinging around in a circle
ALL of the water WILL remain in the bottom of the bucket
whilst you continue to swing it in a circle, regardless of the angle the bucket has to your body

 

[Armoured]

Oh, I am sure you would... we are talking CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

¬ like the water in a bucket you are swinging around in a circle
ALL of the water WILL remain in the bottom of the bucket
whilst you continue to swing it in a circle, regardless of the angle the bucket has to your body

To take the bucket example (and stretching the analogy) although the water will stay in the bucket, that's because there is a constant outward force acting on it. If a diver were standing on the bottom of the bucket, and jumped upwards, that jump would negate that force, and I don't see how the force could be reapplied afterwards? Gravity is constant, but centripetal force only affects objects at in contact with the spinning inner surface. Once one has "jumped" that contact is broken. How would it be re-established?

 

[davedajobauk]

To take the bucket example (and stretching the analogy) although the water will stay in the bucket, that's because there is a constant outward force acting on it. If a diver were standing on the bottom of the bucket, and jumped upwards, that jump would negate that force, and I don't see how the force could be reapplied afterwards? Gravity is constant, but centripetal force only affects objects at in contact with the spinning inner surface. Once one has "jumped" that contact is broken. How would it be re-established?

The 'jump' would be limited by the force exerted upon the diver in the water, to remain at the bottom of the bucket
The diver would not be able, to reach escape velocity

Imagine the gravitational PULL upon the astronaut
that decides to climb toward the axis of a spinning ferris-wheel (type) space station
He would not be able to float toward it, but would, if he let go of the ladder, FALL
toward the outside edge (floor) of the station (centrifugal force)

"but centripetal force only affects objects at in contact with the spinning inner surface"

I would have said: that it effects EVERYTHING between the axis and, the outside edge (?) *

Yes it does take some thinking OUTSIDE THE BOX (imagination)
but, I am sure you will get so far

* The faster the spin and the greater the circumference
the greater the force imposed upon mass, situated
between the axis and the outside edge of the circumference