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From: bl@hplabsb.UUCP (Bruce T. Lowerre)
Newsgroups: net.sci
Subject: Re: How will it fall?
Message-ID: <3461@hplabsb.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-May-86 14:05:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsb.3461
Posted: Mon May  5 14:05:33 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 7-May-86 01:39:43 EDT
References: <632@tekigm2.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 17

> Hello Out There,
> 
> Here's a little thought problem that might stir things up a bit.
> 
> Picture yourself on a space station similar to the one used in 2001
> (i.e. a spinning ring or toroid). You are standing in the middle of
> one of the decks near the outside edge of the ring and the spin of
> the station is providing a "gravity" about equal to that found on
> the surface of the Earth.
> 
> If you were to drop a ball (a simple release with no additional
> forces applied), would it fall straight down (along a line through
> the center of the ring and the point of release) or would it follow
> another path (relative to the aforementioned line)?

Due to angular momentum (or lack there of) it will fall in a curved
path toward the opposite direction of the rotation of the toroid.