This document summarizes a student experiment to simulate gravity on a spacecraft. The experiment involved spinning glass tubes with attached masses to measure the time taken to make 10 revolutions. Heavier masses took less time to complete 10 revolutions than lighter masses. The results supported the theory that centrifugal force from spinning a spacecraft can generate artificial gravity for astronauts by pushing them towards the outer hull. The document also explained how circular motion and centripetal acceleration relate to creating gravity in space.

1. MARS, HERE WE
COME!

2. Asia Spedaluzzi Giulia FerracutiTim De Backer Mika Bracke

3. OUR EXPERIMENT: GENERATING
GRAVITY
On a long spacetrip astronauts want to generate gravity, so that they
experience less problems. To do this, they can spin their spacecraft.
Through our experiment we tried to reproduce the gravity that astronauts
feel and experience in their spacecraft and the results were pretty
surprising.
Let’s see how we did it!

4. OPERATION/DESCRIPTION
Material:
 Little glass tube with nylon thread
 Different masses
 Rubber caps
 Chronometer
Operation:
1. Turn the rubber caps around in a circular motion. ( Radius constant )
2. Measure the time you need to make 10 tours
3. Attach an other mass m’
4. Repeat the experiment
5. Repeat it with 4 different masses

5. CONCLUSIONS AND RESULTS
BELGIUM
Results:
Conclusion:

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RESULTS
ITALY
Mass m’ (kg) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Average time (s)
0,01 6.21 6.40 6.31
0,02 5.98 6.09 6.04
0,03 5.69 5.76 5.73
0,04 5.30 5.56 5.43
Here there are the data we obtained while we were doing the experiment
Let’s see how everything is possible!

7. BUT… HOW IS GRAVITY CREATED?
Nowdays physics need to recreate the gravity of the
earth (9,81m/s²) in the spacecrafts.
Considering that the shuttle turns in a circular motion
only one formula is necessary and it involves the
centripetal acceleration.
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration that causes an
object to move along a circular path, or turn.

8. CIRCULAR MOTION
Circular motion is the movement of an object on a circular
path. This means that the movement of the object traces
the arc of a circle.
-An object undergoing uniform circular motion moves with
a constant speed (only the direction changes).
-An object undergoing non-uniform circular motion moves
with varying speed.
Newton's second law states that an object under the
influence of a force will accelerate in the direction of the
force. So…. The force must therefore always be
perpendicular to the velocity of the object.

9. THEORY BEHIND THE EXPERIMENT…
Gravity is the force of attraction that two objects exert on each other. The magnitude of this force
increases as the bodies become more massive, and decreases if the bodies move further away from each
other. Also, gravitational force always acts in a direction that tries to bring the two objects closer together.
Astronauts currently experience many physiological changes during weightless space travel, and most of these
changes affect them negatively. Therefore, interstellar travel would be much easier if gravity could be
synthesized artificially.

10. A solution can be using a rotating spacecraft, which would induce conditions that are normally observed in a
centrifuge. The rotation would drive any object inside the spacecraft towards the base and away from the center
of rotation. The resistive force from the base of the hull would act like the normal force exerted on us by the
Earth’s surface while standing. The centrifugal force pushing us towards the base of the hull would act like the
gravitational force that the Earth exerts on us.
Furthermore, an increase in speed, i.e. acceleration, is brought about due to gravity. This is the main reason
why, when we free fall, our speed increases. This acceleration can be simulated in the form of an accelerating
spacecraft. A spacecraft under constant acceleration in a straight line would give the appearance of
gravitational pull in the opposite direction. This would cause the object being accelerated to experience a force
pulling it backwards.

11. COMPARISON
We compared the results with the other group and they were very similar to ours even
if they used bigger masses. Both experiments conclude that the velocity of a turning
mass increases if the weight is bigger while the time decreases because less seconds
are needed to make 10 turns, in fact time and velocity are inversely proportional so
if one increases the other decrease. Thanks to this experiment we were able to see
how astronauts generate gravity in the space.

12. REFLECTION