High School Clear definition of microgravity?

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SUMMARY

Microgravity is defined as a condition of reduced gravitational forces, typically not reaching absolute zero gravity (0 g). The International Space Station (ISS) experiences approximately 20 microgravity units (µg), illustrating that microgravity is not a strict threshold but rather a range of gravitational effects. The term "microgravity" was established to describe environments where gravitational forces are significantly lower than on Earth, but it lacks a precise numerical cutoff, leading to confusion in its application. This discussion highlights the ambiguity surrounding the definition and measurement of microgravity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of gravitational forces and their measurement
  • Familiarity with the concept of microgravity in space environments
  • Knowledge of the International Space Station (ISS) and its operational conditions
  • Basic physics principles related to gravity and motion
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of microgravity on biological organisms in space
  • Explore the differences between microgravity and zero gravity environments
  • Learn about the measurement techniques for gravitational forces in space
  • Investigate the historical context and evolution of the term "microgravity"
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physicists, educators, and anyone interested in the effects of reduced gravity on physical systems and biological organisms in space environments.

Logerah
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Hi,

I read about definition of microgravity. It is usually described as reduced g, but not zero g. How can one say then that an object is in microgravity? I was looking hours for a clear definition, like an object is in microgravity if there are just 10^-6g left (clearly wrong, because I read about the ISS has like 20 µg left, or is it just a wrong expression for ISS, because on ISS are too many µg's left?). I can't really imagine that microgravity is accurately defined. Was the term invented too early, so one couldn't detect how many g's are left and so they decided to define it just by "about no gravity"? If one found a definition, please give me the source...
(And that prefix seems quite useless for my thread...)
 
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Logerah said:
I was looking hours for a clear definition, like an object is in microgravity if there are just 10^-6g left
I don't think that there is a clear definition like that. I don't think that it is such a sharp cut off, just a general description.
 

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