Is it possible to escape the force of gravity by going into orbit around Earth? How does the force of gravity in the International Space Station (orbiting an average of 400 km above Earth’s surface) compare with that on the ground?
Question
Is it possible to escape the force of gravity by going into orbit around Earth? How does the force of gravity in the International Space Station (orbiting an average of 400 km above Earth’s surface) compare with that on the ground?
Solution
Yes, it is possible to escape the force of gravity by going into orbit around Earth, but it's not accurate to say that there is no gravity in orbit. In fact, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are still subject to Earth's gravity, just less than what we experience on the surface.
Here's a step-by-step explanation:
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The force of gravity decreases with distance. This means that the further you are from the Earth, the less you will be affected by its gravitational pull.
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The ISS orbits at an average altitude of 400 km above Earth's surface. At this distance, the force of gravity is about 90% of what it is on the surface of the Earth.
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However, astronauts aboard the ISS appear to be weightless not because there is no gravity in space, but because they are in free fall towards the Earth. The ISS is constantly falling towards the Earth, but it's also moving forward fast enough that it keeps missing it. This is what we call being in orbit.
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So, while it's possible to escape the force of gravity by going into orbit, it's more accurate to say that you're just falling towards the Earth in a way that you keep missing it. This gives the sensation of weightlessness, even though gravity is still acting on you.
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