GK
PHYSICS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Accelerating upward on an elevator on Earth; Being at rest in the middle of outer space
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At rest on the surface of the Earth; in orbit around the Earth on the Space Station
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Free Falling elevator on Earth; in orbit around the Earth on the Space Station
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -Earth-orbiting astronauts are weightless for the same reasons that riders of a free-falling amusement park ride or a free-falling elevator are weightless.
Detailed explanation-2: -"You can experience weightlessness just by jumping off a step-before you hit the ground, your body will be in freefall for a very short period.” Even regular aircraft can take people on a microgravity ride.
Detailed explanation-3: -Earth’s gravity pulls objects downward toward the surface. Gravity pulls on the space station, too. As a result, it is constantly falling toward Earth’s surface. It also is moving at a very fast speed-17, 500 miles per hour.
Detailed explanation-4: -(B) An astronaut orbiting the Earth does feel weightless because there is no ground or normal force to counteract the force of gravity. Thus, the astronaut is falling. However, since the astronaut is also moving forward super fast, he/she continuously falls around the Earth rather than crashing into the Earth.
Detailed explanation-5: -During free fall, the only force acting on the body is the force of gravity. As gravity is a non-contact force, it cannot be felt without any opposing force. This is the reason why you feel weightless when in a state of free fall.