Posted by Darren (208.143.232.66) on May 28, 2003 at 12:04:00:
In Reply to: Question posted by Elizabeth on May 27, 2003 at 14:19:52:
: How is the force of gravity altered by speed?
: Please reply I need to know now!
Lots of possible answers but here are two quick ones that come to mind...
First, if you hang a bucket from a rope it will "feel" the full force of gravity pulling it downward... but if you swing that bucket faster and faster in a vertical circle then the centrifugal force in all outward directions will eventually be so great that the force of gravity will, in comparison, be negligible. Higher speed will change the way gravity affects the water in the bucket.
Second, if you walk slowly along a road you'll feel your normal weight the whole time, but if you fly past a planet at very high velocity (enter it's gravitational field for only a moment) you'll only feel slight weight for a moment. The faster you pass through a gravitational field the less of an apparent effect it will have on you.
I don't know if that's what you were looking for :-)
Darren