The notion of weight can be associated with three distinct physical quantities: the force of gravity due to the Earth; the resultant of this gravitational force and the centrifugal force arising from the Earth’s rotation; and the ‘apparent weight in air’, i.e., what is measured by a scale located in the Earth’s atmosphere. Starting from a real life student–teacher exchange, this article sets out the variety of meanings that students and teachers may attribute to the term ‘weight’. It then explores how the weight and apparent weight of an object vary with mountain altitude. The effects of the mass of the mountain and the buoyant force of the air are considered and calculated. The question of whether apparent weight increases or decreases with increasing elevation is addressed in detail.
Do things weigh more or less in the mountains?
BESSON, UGO
2006-01-01
Abstract
The notion of weight can be associated with three distinct physical quantities: the force of gravity due to the Earth; the resultant of this gravitational force and the centrifugal force arising from the Earth’s rotation; and the ‘apparent weight in air’, i.e., what is measured by a scale located in the Earth’s atmosphere. Starting from a real life student–teacher exchange, this article sets out the variety of meanings that students and teachers may attribute to the term ‘weight’. It then explores how the weight and apparent weight of an object vary with mountain altitude. The effects of the mass of the mountain and the buoyant force of the air are considered and calculated. The question of whether apparent weight increases or decreases with increasing elevation is addressed in detail.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
