Futurists project large space stations which would rotate so as to use centripetal acceleration to simulate gravity. The outer wall of the rotating space station would become a floor for the astronauts, and centripetal acceleration supplied by the floor would allow astronauts to exercise and maintain muscle and bone strength more naturally than in non-rotating space environments such as the current International Space station. (a) If the space station were 200. m in diameter, what velocity would produce an “artificial gravity” of 9.80 m/s2 at the rim? (b) What is this value in revolutions per minute?

Question

Futurists project large space stations which would rotate so as to use centripetal acceleration to simulate gravity.  The outer wall of the rotating space station would become a floor for the astronauts, and centripetal acceleration supplied by the floor would allow astronauts to exercise and maintain muscle and bone strength more naturally than in non-rotating space environments such as the current International Space station.  (a) If the space station were 200. m in diameter, what velocity would produce an “artificial gravity” of 9.80 m/s2 at the rim?  (b)  What is this value in revolutions per minute?