(How much) does it matter when you weigh something?

Angilion · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:17

The moon causes tides on Earth because of the difference in the strength of mavity over the Earth - the side nearest the moon experiences a stronger gravitational attraction to the moon than the other side. The same's true of the sun to a lesser extent and I assume it's also true for the other planets to a tiny extent.

So...the weight of an object would change depending on when you measured it, as its weight would be determined by the combination of gravitational fields (Earth's, moon's, sun's, etc) and that varies. An object would weigh less when the moon was overhead than when the moon was over the opposite side of the Earth.

I'm curious as to how much difference it would make. Very little, obviously, but just how little? Or have I completely misunderstood things and it makes no difference at all?

[FnG]magnolia · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:24

I don't think we have any Physics Professors on here (although I do know we have at least one Maths one) and I'm not even sure your question warrants that level of knowledge but I'm going to suggest that you're going to be supplied with random bits of guesswork/read-it-on-the-internet/mom said answers any time right about now.

I also don't know the answer.

Kamwah · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:25

I'd assume that it's probably not enough for any scale to show apart from the ones played with by scientists.

Tummy · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:27

I'll tweet Brian Cox!

Shayper · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:28

Mass is more important than weight, as weight is more of an estimate relative to absolute mass. Everything in the universe affects everything else, gravitational wise, as the effect of mavity diminishing over distance follows the inverse square law. Which means that no matter how far away, everything affects our weight, even by increments that are stupidly small

.

However weighing something on this planet relative to another item in the same place is useful, as it can be used to compare if something doesn't weigh as much as it should.

Damn energy drink! If you can grab what I mean by that post then I'm happy

. Basically I'm just saying that everything is relative

Castiel · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:28

I watched a very interesting documentary on the Moon (the BBC I think) that discussed this, as well as you being ever so slightly taller or shorter, thinner or fatter depending on the tidal influences of the Moon.....

The way it pulls the sea about is quite amazing....and without our outsized satelitite there may well have been no life on this planet at all....

Shayper · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:31

Castiel said:
I watched a very interesting documentary on the Moon (the BBC I think) that discussed this, as well as you being ever so slightly taller or shorter, thinner or fatter depending on the tidal influences of the Moon.....

The way it pulls the sea about is quite amazing....and without our outsized satelitite there may well have been no life on this planet at all....

What's even more mind-blowing is that, because we don't know the absolute conditions needed for life - and because everything in the universe projects an infinite gravitational pull, no matter how small - then life may exist on this planet only because of the absolute positioning of everything else in the entire universe! Freaky, eh?

Castiel · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:33

Shayper said:
What's even more mind-blowing is that, because we don't know the absolute conditions needed for life - and because everything in the universe projects an infinite gravitational pull, no matter how small - then life may exist on this planet only because of the absolute positioning of everything else in the entire universe! Freaky, eh?

Aye...Asimov talked about that.

We are the Universe's children....

Tummy · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:33

We are all made of stars!

Shayper · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:37

Castiel said:
Aye...Asimov talked about that.

We are the Universe's children....

I can't remember the exact quote, or the person who said it, but:

"Beauty is the sum of the parts working together to create a whole that has greater value"

And something about how clockwork is amazing... Might have been from a Terry Pratchett book actually

still apt though.

Tummy said:
We are all made of stars!

What kind of stars are you made from?

Castiel · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:38

Tummy said:
We are all made of stars!

Stars are made of us......in fact we are all made of the same stuff, we are connected to everything and everyone in the entire Universe, including the Universe itself by simply existing.

We are immortal....we just don't know it.

Tummy · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:39

Shayper said:
What kind of stars are you made from?

We are all different and all the same!

Zefan · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:39

Shayper said:
What's even more mind-blowing is that, because we don't know the absolute conditions needed for life - and because everything in the universe projects an infinite gravitational pull, no matter how small - then life may exist on this planet only because of the absolute positioning of everything else in the entire universe! Freaky, eh?

You've somehow taken the "The universe is so enormous, it really shows how we are completely tiny and insignificant" point, and turned it in to "The Universe is centered around our existence, nothing is more important than the continued survival of life on this great, infinitely significant planet."

Well done sir.

Castiel · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:41

Shayper said:
I can't remember the exact quote, or the person who said it, but:

"Beauty is the sum of the parts working together to create a whole that has greater value"

And something about how clockwork is amazing... Might have been from a Terry Pratchett book actually still apt though.

I don't recognise the quote...but it reminds me of a cool word.....Synergy.

Shayper · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:41

Castiel said:
Stars are made of us......in fact we are all made of the same stuff, we are connected to everything and everyone in the entire Universe, including the Universe itself by simply existing.

We are immortal....we just don't know it.

Have you ever read "The Amber Spyglass?"

Raises quite an interesting point similar to that. When we die we rejoin that from whence we were made, to continual the circle of life.

I wonder if the universe will notice our passage as part of the cycle? Do you think that if we die on other worlds we will unbalance the biomes that we discover?

Interesting thoughts

and no, I'm not high

[FnG]magnolia · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:43

I can get you your answer but I'd need to post it on a different forum to do so. ASK/TELL just doesn't work in OCUK (and even less in GD) due to userbase volume/knowledge.

Shayper · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:44

Zefan said:
You've somehow taken the "The universe is so enormous, it really shows how we are completely tiny and insignificant" point, and turned it in to "The Universe is centered around our existence, nothing is more important than the continued survival of life on this great, infinitely significant planet."

Well done sir.

Hardly. Was just a thought, I know our planet is no more significant than any other. Nor is our race more significant than anything else in the universe.

Please don't put words into my mouth

Castiel said:
I don't recognise the quote...but it reminds me of a cool word.....Synergy.

Cool word indeed

Zefan · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:48

Shayper said:
Hardly. Was just a thought, I know our planet is no more significant than any other. Nor is our race more significant than anything else in the universe.

Please don't put words into my mouth

I was actually honestly praising you there, as it's quite cool, but ok then

Tummy · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:48

Zefan was being nice!

misread you

On a side note, I do bloody love reading about Space.

Carl Sagan! Pale Blue Dot speech is epic.

Castiel · 13 Jan 2012 at 02:49

Shayper said:
Have you ever read "The Amber Spyglass?"

Raises quite an interesting point similar to that. When we die we rejoin that from whence we were made, to continual the circle of life.

I wonder if the universe will notice our passage as part of the cycle? Do you think that if we die on other worlds we will unbalance the biomes that we discover?

Interesting thoughts and no, I'm not high

Part of the Dark Materials, yes?

I'm not adverse to entertaining thoughts that corporeal life is but one aspect of existence.....I think (not believe, just throwing stuff out there) nature requires balance, but rarely actually attains it and that includes from the smallest fundamental particle to largest galaxy....once we reach that balance universally....we collectively become God.....almost as if the Universe itself is the birthing mechanism to create the next and so on....the greatest circle of life if you will...