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cragar
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If I am in orbit around Earth that means that I am in constant free-fall around earth.
Is this an inertial reference frame?
Is this an inertial reference frame?
Locally, yes.cragar said:so it would be considered inertial, then I could use special relativity in that frame
Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravity, where the only force acting on the object is the force of gravity. This means that the object is accelerating towards the ground at a constant rate of 9.8 meters per second squared.
In regular falling, there may be other forces acting on the object, such as air resistance or friction, which can affect the speed and trajectory of the object. Free fall, on the other hand, only occurs when there are no other forces acting on the object besides gravity.
The formula for calculating the speed of an object in free fall is v = gt, where v is the final velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²), and t is the time in seconds.
An orbit is the path that an object takes around another object in space due to the force of gravity. In order for an object to stay in orbit, its speed must be balanced with the gravitational pull of the larger object it is orbiting.
The concept of free fall is closely related to orbiting objects, as both are governed by the force of gravity. In free fall, the object is constantly accelerating towards the center of the larger object (such as the Earth). In orbit, the object is also constantly accelerating towards the center of the larger object, but its tangential velocity is balanced with the force of gravity, resulting in a circular or elliptical path around the larger object.