Veritasium
Season 2 Episode 19 - Is There Gravity In Space?
If you've seen footage from the International Space Station or any of the space shuttle missions, you know that astronauts float around as they orbit the Earth. Why is that? Is it because the gravitational force on them is zero in space? (Or nearly zero?) The truth is that the strength of the gravitational attraction is only slightly less than it is on Earth's surface. So how are they able to float? Well, they aren't floating - they're falling, along with the space station. They don't crash into the Earth because they have a huge orbital velocity. So as they accelerate towards the Earth, the Earth curves away beneath them and they never get any closer. Since the astronauts have the same acceleration as the space station, they feel weightless. It's like being in a free-falling elevator (without the disastrous landing).
Episodes in Season 2
Atomic Theory
2 min
Thomson's Plum Pudding Model of the Atom
2 min
Cathode Rays Lead to Thomson's Model of the Atom
3 min
Scientific Notation - Explained!
5 min
I'm Atoms (Scientific Cover of Jason Mraz's I'm Yours)
3 min
Scientific Notation - Example
1 min
The Difference Between Mass and Weight
3 min
Egg Experiment to Demonstrate Inertia
1 min
Gravity (Scientific Version of John Mayer's Gravity)
4 min
How Far Away is the Moon? (The Scale of the Universe)
2 min
What is a Force?
3 min
What Forces Are Acting On You?
2 min
Why Does the Moon Orbit Earth?
1 min
What Is Gravity?
2 min
Best Film on Newton's Third Law. Ever.
4 min
Calculating Gravitational Attraction
3 min
Which Hits The Ground First?
3 min
Misconceptions About Falling Objects
3 min
Is There Gravity In Space?
2 min
Three Incorrect Laws of Motion
2 min
Experiments A Cappella
1 min
Khan Academy and the Effectiveness of Science Videos
8 min
What Are Atoms and Isotopes?
3 min
Supercooled Water - Explained!
3 min
How Damaging is Radiation?
4 min
