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Question
As the earth rotates about its axis, a person living in his house at the equator goes in a circular orbit of radius equal to the radius of the earth. Why does he/she not feel weightless as a satellite passenger does?
Solution
A person living in a house at the equator will not feel weightlessness because he is not in a free fall motion. Satellites are in free fall motion under the gravitational pull of the earth, but, due to the curved surface of the Earth, they move in a circular path. The gravitational force on the satellite due to the Sun provides the centripetal force for its revolution. Therefore, net force on the satellite is zero and, thus, a person feels weightless in a satellite orbiting the earth.
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