Question 2 of 21

The force of gravity causes ________.

... All objects, whether large, medium or small, exert a force (pull) on each other. This is gravity. When you jump in the air, the mass of the Earth is so much larger than your mass that you come down quickly. Although you are pushing against the Earth when you jump, the Earth can exert a much greater force to pull you back down.

Question 3 of 21

When astronauts are on the International Space Station orbiting Earth, "microgravity" is a better term for what they experience than "weightlessness" because ________.

... The astronauts are not, literally, weightless on the space station. They ARE being affected by gravity, and the amount of gravity determines weight.

Question 4 of 21

The design firm RC Imagination Arts is proposing a "zero gravity" roller coaster that may allow riders to experience microgravity. It is expected to cost around $50 million, primarily due to ________.

... In order to function properly and attain zero gravity for its riders, the ride must be precise. The weight of the passengers will vary with each trip, so the ride will need a mechanism to recalibrate the coaster before it "takes off" each time.

Question 5 of 21

Besides feeling nauseated, what is a common initial reaction to microgravity?

... The first reactions of many people to microgravity are nausea, vertigo (dizziness) and confusion.

Question 6 of 21

Whenever a space shuttle was launched, about how long was it before astronauts experienced microgravity?

... In about eight and a half minutes after a shuttle launched, astronauts would experience microgravity.

Question 7 of 21

About how far away from the sun would you need to be in order for its gravitational pull on you to be almost nothing?

... To free yourself fully from the sun's gravity, you'd have to be about 3.7 billion kilometers (2.3 billion miles) from our shiny friend in the sky. That's an incredible distance, considering the Earth is "only" about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) from the sun.

Question 8 of 21

What causes nausea, or "space sickness," in microgravity?

... Your eyes tell your brain if you are upright or upside down. But because there is no gravity, the vestibular sensory system of the inner ear (which contributes to balance) can't tell which direction is up, down, forward or backward. The brain decides it's best to respond to this conflicting information by supplying you with nausea, confusion and vertigo.

Question 9 of 21

How do astronauts overcome space sickness?

... After a few days, the brain will stop trying to make the eyes and vestibular system coordinate and will focus only on input from the eyes in relation to position.

Question 10 of 21

Why can bones become brittle in microgravity?

... For all of those reasons, the bones become brittle. In microgravity, the large bones of the legs, hips and back do not need to support body weight. The production of osteoblasts (bone-building cells) is therefore reduced, while that of osteoclasts (bone-destroying cells) is increased.

Question 11 of 21

Studies on the space station have indicated that it takes the human body about how long to adjust to microgravity?

... Within six weeks, the human body can adjust to the effects of microgravity, such as nausea, disorientation, anemia, redistributed body fluids and muscle loss. Although the body learns to adjust and will function, not all of the negative effects (e.g., muscle loss) disappear.

Question 12 of 21

Which effect of microgravity experienced by astronauts does not seem to reverse itself upon return to Earth?

... The longer a space mission, the greater the loss of bone. Although most negative effects of microgravity disappear after about a week back on Earth, the bone loss does not seem reversible.

Question 13 of 21

One way to deal with the loss of bone and muscle due to microgravity is to ________.

... Research conducted by NASA and the Russian Space Agency determined that working out on exercise machines (e.g., treadmills, rowing machines) for about two hours a day can help counter the effects of microgravity. Of course, the astronauts must be strapped onto their machines in order to use them!

Question 14 of 21

For training purposes, NASA used KC-135A aircraft to create microgravity; the planes __________.

... The planes fly in a parabolic motion (think "rolling hills"), going up steeply, leveling off, then diving down. Near the top of the arc, people experience microgravity for about 25 seconds. This flight has been colorfully called the "Vomit Comet," although most people don't experience motion sickness until exceeding 25 parabolic arcs.

Question 15 of 21

Researchers at the University of Nottingham's School of Physics and Astronomy recently studied microgravity using ______ in order to levitate fruit flies.

... The scientists used a magnetic field to hold the insects in mid-air. Water, which is a large component of the insect's body, is diamagnetic, which means it is pushed away by magnetic force. Large magnets, therefore, made the insects "float."

Question 16 of 21

Researchers in France found that drinking ________ might help people counter some of the effects of microgravity.

... The antioxidant resveratrol is found in red wine. Resveratrol can help prevent bone density loss and muscle deterioration. The French study focused on rats in simulated microgravity, and the rodents had to have quite a bit of the antioxidant to prevent damage. Unfortunately, for astronauts to get a similar result, the study said, they would need to drink more than 15 gallons (60 liters) of red wine per day. That probably would not be the kind of space travel that astronauts usually envision.

Question 17 of 21

First NASA trained astronauts on parabolic flights; now a private company called _________ takes members of the general public on them.

... According to the Zero G Web site, for about $5,000 you can book a flight on a Zero G plane out of Cape Canaveral, Fla., San Jose, Calif. or Las Vegas.

Question 18 of 21

NASA's Zero Gravity Research Facility is the largest microgravity center in the world; it's located in _______.

... The NASA facility has been operating in Brook Park, Ohio since 1966. It has two drop towers that allow objects to free-fall 432 feet (132 meters) in about five seconds.

Question 19 of 21

When a plane takes a parabolic flight to experience microgravity, it climbs to a peak altitude of ________.

... For parabolic flight, a plane ranges between 24,000 feet and 32,000 feet. This provides enough distance for the pilot to safely recover from the steep descent. Most commercial flights have 10-15 parabolic arcs, but NASA parabolic flights could have as many as 100.

Question 20 of 21

Which famous scientist has taken a parabolic flight?

... In 2007, Hawking participated in a zero-gravity flight. Because of severe physical limitations due to his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he was accompanied by doctors and nurses. He experienced eight parabolic arcs.

Question 21 of 21

Planes that fly in parabolic arcs can simulate the gravity on the moon and on Mars. Compared to Earth, what is the gravity on the moon?

... Astronauts sometimes trained in moon simulations, where the gravity is one-sixth that of Earth. They also experienced Martian gravity, which is one-third that of Earth.

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