Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: johnson039 on 03/12/2008 01:11:27
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recently I read some interesting scientific facts on internet
Why weight on the equator is not thesame as that on the pole? Is that something related to the apparent weight ?
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It is due to the rotation of the earth this prduces a small centrifugal force that slightly counteracts gravity. Of course this only affects weights as measured by a spring balance and not those measured by a beam balance. these continue to be accurate because the gravitational weigt of the weights themselves are reduced.
This change of weight also explains wyh the shape of the earth is an obleate spheroid with a slightly bigger circumference round the equator than round the poles
If the earth rotated once every hour and a half things would weigh nothing at the equator and we could launch tings into space by throwing them off the earth!
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It is due to the rotation of the earth this prduces a small centrifugal force that slightly counteracts gravity. Of course this only affects weights as measured by a spring balance and not those measured by a beam balance. these continue to be accurate because the gravitational weight of the weights themselves are reduced.
Er, no.
The weight of an object is the force that (local) gravity exerts on it. The mass is the same no matter how you measure it.
The problem is that a beam balance can't actually measure weight, it can only compare two weights. I can calibrate a spring balance by pulling a mass sideways and seeing how fast it accelerates. The force I need to use to accelerate 1KG at 1m/s is one Newton and I can then use that spring balance to measure forces (I can even do this in space where there's no gravity).
I can also use it to measure the weight of an object.
You can also use a pendulum clock to see the change in local gravity.
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What about the gravitional pull of the sun and the moon? (I'm having a deja vue moment)
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I find it interesting that as the rotation of the earth at the equator produces only a small change it the weight of an object if it rotated 17 times as fast the weight would be effectively zero.