- #1
randyu
- 20
- 0
I have a question.
I am in a frame. I construct a spring scale and weigh a ball to be 200 lbs on the floor. I feel no forces on my motions other than a gravitational field like being on the surface of the earth. I climb a very very tall ladder and weigh the ball again and find it to be 100 lbs. Wouldn't I say that I am in a gravitational field and not an accelerating field. And wouldn't I be able to calculate something about the nature of this gravitational field?
Conversely, if I climb the same very tall ladder and the ball still weighs 200 lbs. Wouldn't I then know I'm in an accelerating field and not gravitational?
Just confused, thanks for any help.
Randy
I am in a frame. I construct a spring scale and weigh a ball to be 200 lbs on the floor. I feel no forces on my motions other than a gravitational field like being on the surface of the earth. I climb a very very tall ladder and weigh the ball again and find it to be 100 lbs. Wouldn't I say that I am in a gravitational field and not an accelerating field. And wouldn't I be able to calculate something about the nature of this gravitational field?
Conversely, if I climb the same very tall ladder and the ball still weighs 200 lbs. Wouldn't I then know I'm in an accelerating field and not gravitational?
Just confused, thanks for any help.
Randy