Weight is the force with which a body is attracted to the Earth. If in space there is no gravitational action of the Earth, how to measure the weight of things? It's simple, in space nothing has weight and that's why astronauts float, which doesn't mean it loses its mass.
Mass is a measure of how much matter an object contains. Weight is the product of mass and the action of gravity, therefore, weight and mass are related, they are proportional quantities. The greater the force of gravity, the greater the weight. But in space it's a little different, mass remains unchanged and weight is non-existent (due to lack of gravity).
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To weigh something in space it is necessary to resort to a device that works independently of gravity, the balance of inertia. Based on the fact that the greater the mass of a person, the more difficult it will be to move them, astronauts are subjected to equipment that shakes them back and forth. The force needed to move the astronaut corresponds to the balance of inertia and, consequently, the weight of his body.
The weight found through this procedure is the equivalent weight on Earth.
By Líria Alves
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "What has weight in space? "; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/o-que-tem-peso-no-espaco.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
