Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Spinning space station design
Skewbrow:
Coriolis force is always perpendicular to both the axis of the rotation and also to the speed vector (in the rotating frame). Its magnitude is proportional to the sine of the angle between those two vectors (explaining why it is equal to zero, when your motion is
parallel to the axis of rotation, and also why it is at its largest when the motion is perpendicular to the axis of rotation). So when you jog along the perimeter of the spinning space station, it will be either "up" (towards the hub) or "down" (pressing you to the floor with extra force) effectively decreasing/increasing your "personal g". When you throw a dart in a centrifuge towards (or away from) the outer floor, the Coriolis force will be sideways. I am fairly sure that all the dartboards on HannerDad's station are on those walls that you would also place the donut toppings on (looking at the station from the outside).
The difference in "personal g" will not be very large in a practical setting. Starting with the numbers from Akima's spreadsheet of a station with radius 1000 meters spinning at 1rpm, the rim will be moving at about 100 meters/second. A world class sprinter can run at one tenth of that speed, and thus might be able to vary his/her personal g by 20 per cent. The centripetal force is proportional to the square of the speed, so the relative difference (unless very large) gets doubled.
Carl-E:
Ah. Yes, I completely forgot about coriolis. Nevertheless, I think my first point still stands - eihter way you run, in the inertial frame of reference, it's "uphill" since your accelleration vector is straight and the station isn't.
...and I just realized what I wrote. Sorry, Station. Not that there's anything wrong with not being straight... :laugh: :roll: :angel: :psyduck:
Nomen:
Why are you apologizing if there's nothing wrong with it?
jwhouk:
Someone obviously hasn't seen Seinfeld.
"NOT... THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!"
Deadlywonky:
--- Quote from: Carl-E on 11 Feb 2012, 18:18 ---Ah. Yes, I completely forgot about coriolis. Nevertheless, I think my first point still stands - eihter way you run, in the inertial frame of reference, it's "uphill" since your accelleration vector is straight and the station isn't.
...and I just realized what I wrote. Sorry, Station. Not that there's anything wrong with not being straight... :laugh: :roll: :angel: :psyduck:
--- End quote ---
there's nothing wrong with being a holosexual
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version