What will happen to a pendulum clock carried an astronaut on orbit around the earth? Which one of the two following descriptions is the correct one: 1.a pendulum clock carried by an astronaut orbiting the earth will not swing because there's no gravity and the pendulum is in free fall. 2.a pendulum clock will swing at a reduced rate: the periodic time will increase because the acceleration due to gravity "g" is reduced.

Ramiro Wise

Ramiro Wise

Answered question

2022-11-22

What will happen to a pendulum clock carried an astronaut on orbit around the earth?
Which one of the two following descriptions is the correct one:
1. a pendulum clock carried by an astronaut orbiting the earth will not swing because there's no gravity and the pendulum is in free fall.
2. a pendulum clock will swing at a reduced rate: the periodic time will increase because the acceleration due to gravity "g" is reduced.

Answer & Explanation

Russell Knox

Russell Knox

Beginner2022-11-23Added 15 answers

The first option is correct the answer as an orbiting astronaut is constantly free-falling towards the Earth:
1. The astronaut falls in a parabolic curve, an exact same distance as compensated by the curvature of Earth. Imagine an apple thrown horizontally at a velocity on Earth. It takes parabolic trajectory and eventually falls onto Earth. If we keep increasing the velocity of the Apple, it keeps falling at a farther and farther more distance from place it has been thrown. Now, at particular velocity the Apple takes parabolic trajectory that has the same curvature as of Earth. This velocity is called the orbital speed of the object. At this speed the object is always falling but never reaches its destination!
2.Now, a free-falling object can not experience gravity according to general relativity. Hence, the pendulum will not experience any gravity. Therefore it will not swing, and carrying pendulum to ISS will be bad way of keeping time!

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