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From: osman@sprite.DEC (Eric, DIGITAL, Burlington Ma.  617 273-7484)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: someone asked why weightless 300 miles up in orbit even though gravity is the same (isn't weight still mass * gravity_accelaration?)
Message-ID: <96@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Thu, 19-Dec-85 09:50:47 EST
Article-I.D.: on?)
Posted: Thu Dec 19 09:50:47 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Dec-85 05:46:55 EST
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Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 10

I believe the key to the answer is the word "orbit".  If you're in orbit,
you're whizzing around the earth just fast enough so that your centrifical
force OUTWARD matches gravity's force INWARD.

Hence the total acceleration for you is zero, and hence you are indeed
weightless.

p.s.	Does someone remember the details of the "thought" experiment
	involving being in a windowless elevator, and trying to determine
	whether	you are accelerating or just plain heavy ?