The gravitational constant g is 9.807 m/s2 at sea level, but it decreases as you go up in elevation. A useful equation for this decrease in g is g = a – bz, where z is the elevation above sea level, a = 9.807 m/s2, and b = 3.32 × 10–6 1/s2. An astronaut “weighs” 80.0 kg at sea level. [Technically this means that his/her mass is 80.0 kg.] Calculate this person’s weight in N while floating around in the International Space Station (z = 354 km). If the Space Station were to suddenly stop in its orbit, what gravitational acceleration would the astronaut feel immediately after the satellite stopped moving? In light of your answer, explain why astronauts on the Space Station feel “weightless.”

The gravitational constant g is 9.807 m/s² at sea level, but it decreases as you go up in elevation. A useful equation for this decrease in g is g = a – bz, where z is the elevation above sea level, a = 9.807 m/s2, and b = 3.32 × 10^–6 1/s². An astronaut “weighs” 80.0 kg at sea level. [Technically this means that his/her mass is 80.0 kg.] Calculate this person’s weight in N while floating around in the International Space Station (z = 354 km). If the Space Station were to suddenly stop in its orbit, what gravitational acceleration would the astronaut feel immediately after the satellite stopped moving? In light of your answer, explain why astronauts on the Space Station feel “weightless.”