Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: thedoc on 17/04/2015 15:46:32

Title: What is a 1g constant acceleration in a vacuum?
Post by: thedoc on 17/04/2015 15:46:32

Chris asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I would like to calculate a 1g constant acceleration in a vacuum.
What do you think?

Title: Re: What is a 1g constant acceleration in a vacuum?
Post by: UltimateTheory on 17/04/2015 16:59:22

You will get something like this:

a=9.81 m/s^2 is only at ground level,
the higher altitude the lower will be a.

Different regions of Earth also have different distances to center, different distribution of mass inside, and slightly different accelerations at ground level:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_of_Earth
image map showing variations.

Title: Re: What is a 1g constant acceleration in a vacuum?
Post by: PmbPhy on 17/04/2015 17:16:25

Quote from: UltimateTheory

You will get something like this:

a=9.81 m/s^2 is only at ground level,
the higher altitude the lower will be a.

Different regions of Earth also have different distances to center, different distribution of mass inside, and slightly different accelerations at ground level:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_of_Earth
image map showing variations.

The OP made no statement about being in a gravitational field.

Quote from: thedoc

Chris asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I would like to calculate a 1g constant acceleration in a vacuum.
What do you think?

This is an incomplete question. I assume he's asking what the trajectory of an object is that is accelerating at a rate of 1g. If so then see: http://home.comcast.net/~peter.m.brown/sr/uniform_accel.htm  This is a relativistic calculation and as such as exact as can be determined.