Turning Around in Space: The Challenge of No Gravity

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on whether a person suspended in space, without any external forces to push against, can turn themselves around. It explores the implications of internal forces and angular momentum in a microgravity environment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that a person cannot turn themselves around in empty space due to the absence of external forces, suggesting that only internal forces can be generated.
  • Others propose that similar to a cat, a human can rotate by producing equal and opposite angular momentums, resulting in a net angular momentum of zero.
  • A participant mentions that humans can achieve rotation by swinging their arms and legs, referencing a video of an astronaut demonstrating this in free fall.
  • One participant describes a specific mechanism where gyrating limbs in one direction causes the torso to rotate in the opposite direction, allowing for a change in orientation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion remains unresolved, with participants presenting competing views on the ability to turn around in space, highlighting different interpretations of internal forces and angular momentum.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the assumptions made about the nature of forces in a microgravity environment and the specific conditions under which rotation might occur.

Spock
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Can a person suspended in space with nothing to push off of, turn themselves around?
 
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I think he can't if the space is empty and the weight is absent.
He can only produce internal forces which let him to extend the arms and to rotate the breast for example..
Every movement he makes can't accelerate him because it creates equal and opposite reaction forces
 
Spock said:
Can a person suspended in space with nothing to push off of, turn themselves around?

 
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Yes, it's true: a cat rotates because it can produce two equal and opposite angular momentums, so the net angular momentum is zero.
 
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Yes. If he gyrates his arms/legs in a clockwise direction, his torso will turn counterclockwise. Once he stops moving his limbs, he will be facing a new direction and no longer rotating.
 

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