Microgravity science experiments
New Scientist put together a slideshow of interesting experiments in microgravity, like you would experience on the International Space Station (ISS). (Of course, my favorite microgravity experiment is depicted in the the classic 2003 video where astronaut Don Pettit "eats" High Tea on the ISS with chopsticks.) Here's the description of the images above, from New Scientist:
Microgravity tends to produce rounder, cooler flames, as this comparison of combustion in normal gravity (left) and microgravity (right) illustrates. Unlike on Earth, hot, less-dense air does not rise in microgravity. As a result, other processes, like the diffusion of particles from a high temperature to a low temperature area, dominate."Giant crystals and spherical flames: science in microgravity"
the latest
latest episodes
The interesting thing to see here is that the microgravity flame is burning a lot more efficiently, a 'clean-burn' flame, no soot.
The blue part of the flame is usually the hottest, the yellow is cooler.
Weightlessness is awesome. That is all.
Don Pettit drinks his tea in microgravity with chopsticks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7obLT4s2-HA
I had a professor in college (U of Michigan Aerospace) who used to get his blood all angered up over the term Microgravity.
His point of contention was that earth's gravitational pull at orbital height was something like 9/10s it's value at sea level. It's orbital velocity that creates the illusion of weightlessness. How can something that is 10% weaker be considered "micro". Like most insanely smart people (and this dude was smart), he was also weird and eccentric.
Unfortunately, after hearing him state his case over and over, it rubbed off. An I am sad to say the phrase annoys me by proxy.