Question Details

An astronaut feels weightlessness because

Options

A

Gravity is zero there

B

Atmosphere is not there

C

Energy is zero in the chamber of a rocket

D

The fictitious force in rotating frame of reference cancels the effect or weight

Correct Answer :

The fictitious force in rotating frame of reference cancels the effect or weight

Solution :

The correct option is: The fictitious force in rotating frame of reference cancels the effect or weight

Explanation:
When a spacecraft is orbiting the Earth, it is in a constant state of free fall. To understand why an astronaut experiences weightlessness in this environment, we can analyze the forces from two different frames of reference:

1. Inertial Frame of Reference:
From the perspective of an observer on Earth, the only significant force acting on the astronaut and the spacecraft is gravity. Both are accelerating toward the Earth at the same rate, which keeps them in orbit. Because they accelerate together, there is no contact or normal force between the astronaut and the spacecraft, leading to the sensation of weightlessness.

2. Rotating (Non-Inertial) Frame of Reference:
If we analyze the situation from the frame of reference of the orbiting spacecraft (which is rotating and accelerating), we must introduce fictitious (or inertial) forces to apply Newton's laws of motion. In this rotating frame, a fictitious centrifugal force acts radially outwards on the astronaut.
This outward centrifugal force is given by:
Fc=mω2r
This force acts in the opposite direction to the gravitational force (weight):
Fg=GMmr2
In a stable circular orbit, the magnitude of this fictitious centrifugal force exactly equals and cancels the effect of gravity (weight):
Fc=Fg
Because the fictitious force in the rotating frame of reference cancels the effect of weight, the net force on the astronaut relative to the spacecraft is zero, resulting in the feeling of weightlessness.

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