Does it hurt to get hit with a baseball (or anything else) in zero-g?
Is this a funny joke or a way for you to lose your job as an astronaut?!?!
Let’s find out!
1st Law of Motion
No Net Force in a particular direction means no change in speed in that direction.
Therefore, if there is a Net Force in a direction, an object will change speed in the direction
Things don’t change speed instantly. That means that when objects collide there is always some crunching together involved.
Yikes!!
Things hurt because they don’t speed up, slow down, or turn quickly.
Is this due to their mass or their weight?
Mass | Weight |
Amount of Matter | The Pull of Gravity on the Matter |
The Stuff | The heaviness of the stuff |
Measured in units of Kilograms! | Measured in units of Newton’s! |
The same wherever you are | Depends on where you are. |
Makes things hard to speed up, slow down, or change direction! | Makes things fall, tough to lift, and tough to hold in place! |
The Stuff
The Pull
It’s Mass!
Mass is what makes things hard to speed up, slow down or turn!
Which is why things can hurt when they hit you!
This astronaut might get fired!
This astronaut might need an ice pack!