How Does This All Work Exactly?
By utilizing centrifugal force, we can mimic the force of gravity which we feel on Earth to allow plants to grow normally. Centrifugal force is measured by the mass of the object spinning around an axis multiplied by the angular speed^2 that the object spins multiplied by the radius of the circle in which the object moves. See the diagram that one of our members created below for a visual representation of this force.
Also be sure to check out the centrifugal force calculator developed by our team (below) to investigate the effects of changing different values. Simply enter the value of a variable (i.e. radius) in the white text area, and click on the gray bar next to it to change the unit of measurement, such as meters or feet. The output will be both the centrifugal acceleration and centrifugal force. If you want to go a step further, divide the centrifugal force output by the mass of your object, and you should get the force of "gravity" measured in meters per second ^2. Compare this number to Earth's gravitational force of about 9.8 m/s^2. Please note that in order to do this extra step correctly, the mass variable should be measured in kilograms (kg), and the centrifugal force should be in Newtons (N). If these units are not kilograms and Newtons, this conversion will not work. |
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