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Microgravity: living on the International Space Station
Microgravity: living on the International Space Station

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2 Using drop towers to simulate microgravity

When objects are dropped from the top of drop towers, they achieve freefall as they drop. This briefly creates a microgravity environment (Figure 4).

A coloured photograph of the Bremen drop tower.
Figure 4 The 140-metre drop tower in Bremen, Germany.

Listen to Audio 1 which describes drop towers and rollercoasters. A transcript is also provided if you would prefer to read it.

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Audio 1 drop towers and rollercoasters
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According to this New Scientist article [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (Cross, 1990), up to 10 seconds of a microgravity environment can be replicated in the Japan Microgravity Centre (JAMIC) (Figure 5).

Described image
Figure 5 The Japan Microgravity Centre or JAMIC (Cross, 1990).

To test your understanding of freefall and drop towers you should now complete Activity 2.

Activity 2 Drop towers and freefall

Timing: Allow approximately 15 minutes

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

a. 

3.0 m/s


b. 

300 m/s


c. 

30 m/s


d. 

0.30 m/s


e. 

3000 m/s


The correct answer is c.

Answer

Actually, because it just gets faster and faster, thinking of this as an average speed is not particularly helpful.

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a. 

500 m/s


b. 

7 m/s


c. 

5 m/s


d. 

50 m/s


e. 

70 m/s


The correct answer is d.

a. 

12


b. 

120


c. 

1.2


d. 

0.12


e. 

0


The correct answer is a.

Next, you will carry out your own experiment to calculate the acceleration of gravity on Earth.