An astronaut performs a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, where the effective gravitational field strength is approximately zero. What is t...
Question 1 Report
An astronaut performs a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, where the effective gravitational field strength is approximately zero.
What is the mass and the approximate weight of the astronaut during the spacewalk?
Answer Details
Mass is an intrinsic property of the astronaut and does not change regardless of location. The astronaut's mass remains 85 kg during the spacewalk. In orbit where the effective gravitational field strength is approximately zero, the apparent weight is approximately 0 N. The astronaut is in free fall (continuously falling around the Earth), so there is no contact force and the apparent weight is zero, even though the actual gravitational pull is only slightly less than on Earth's surface.
Download The App On Google Playstore
Everything you need to excel in your exams
