So, I learned in physics class at school in the UK that the value of acceleration due to gravity is a constant called g and that it was 9.81m/s^2. I knew that this value is not a true constant as it is affected by terrain and location. However I didn’t know that it can be so significantly different as to be 9.776 m/s^2 in Kuala Lumpur for example. I’m wondering if a different value is told to children in school that is locally relevant for them? Or do we all use the value I learned?

  • Hildegarde@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Standard gravity is 9.80665 m/s2. That the number defined by the metric people who set all the world’s units. In schools in the united states of america, we used 9.8. I don’t recal using any more precision than that. Gravity at the surface does vary, but you don’t need more presision than that for most academic purposes.

    • CanadaPlus@futurology.todayEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      Is that so? I wonder what the story behind that is. Maybe it’s a surface average?

      Most people would probably guess this, but meters and seconds are defined independently of Earth’s gravity, so it doesn’t have a true value, just apparently a standard nominal one.

      • bouh@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 years ago

        The value of g depends on altitude. You can define it easily at the earth average 0m altitude.

        • CanadaPlus@futurology.todayEnglish
          1·
          2 years ago

          It also depends on latitude, and local geology and…

          Maybe it is just weighted by surface area, you’re right, and that’s what I meant by “surface average”.

  • Drunemeton@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 years ago

    g = 9.80665 m/s^2 at sea level. Higher than sea level lowers the value due to GR (General Relativity).

        • CanadaPlus@futurology.todayEnglish
          0·
          2 years ago

          F=Gm1m2/r2

          G is the gravitational constant, the m’s are the masses in question, and F is the force generated. The r is radius from the center of one body to the other; that is, height. If it didn’t decrease, orbits wouldn’t exist the same way and astronomers would have laughed Newton out of the room.

          I could give you a link if you really want, but it’s the Newtonian gravity equation, so it’s probably just going to be “Gravity” on Wikipedia.