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Related Concept Videos

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A rocket's velocity in the presence of a gravitational field is decreased by the amount of force exerted by Earth's gravitational field, which opposes the motion of the rocket. If we consider thrust, that is, the force exerted on a rocket by the exhaust gases, then a rocket's thrust is greater in outer space than in the atmosphere or on a launch pad. In fact, gases are easier to expel in a vacuum.
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When an object is dropped, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. If the net external force on the object is its weight, it is said to be in free fall; that is, the only force acting on the object is gravity. Galileo was instrumental in showing that, in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall with the same acceleration g. However, when objects on the Earth fall downward, they are never truly in free fall, because there is always some upward resistance force from the air acting...
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Rockets range in size from small fireworks that ordinary people use to the enormous Saturn V that once propelled massive payloads toward the Moon. The propulsion of all rockets, jet engines, deflating balloons, and even squids and octopuses are explained by the same physical principle: Newton's third law of motion. The matter is forcefully ejected from a system, producing an equal and opposite reaction on what remains.
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Blueprints for Constructing Microgravity Analogs.

Karl H Hasenstein1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA, USA. hasenstein@louisiana.edu.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 14, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Investigating gravity's effects on life requires simulating microgravity. This study details building affordable, programmable clinostats for biological research when space missions aren't an option.

Keywords:
3D printingAccelerometerClinostatLED illuminationMicrocontroller programmingRandom positioning machineSTL files

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Area of Science:

  • Life sciences
  • Gravitational biology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Understanding gravitational effects on biological systems is crucial.
  • Achieving sustained microgravity for research is challenging and expensive, often requiring space missions.
  • Simulating reduced gravity on Earth is essential for widespread biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the design and construction of low-cost, versatile instruments for simulating reduced gravity.
  • To provide a guide for researchers needing affordable equipment for gravitational biology studies.

Main Methods:

  • The article details the construction of rotating devices (clinostats) to simulate microgravity.
  • It covers the programming of microcontrollers for instrument control.
  • Emphasis is placed on achieving sturdiness, programmability, and affordability.

Main Results:

  • A functional, low-cost clinostat design is presented.
  • The instrument is designed to be versatile and reliable for biological experiments.
  • The construction and programming details enable individual investigators to build their own equipment.

Conclusions:

  • Affordable and programmable clinostats can be constructed for gravitational biology research.
  • These instruments facilitate the study of gravity's effects on living organisms without expensive commercial options.
  • The described methods empower researchers with limited budgets to conduct vital experiments.