This article was taken from the December 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
So you'd like to experience zero-G, but you're still awaiting your Nasa credentials. David Chandler's 1991 paper
Weightlessness And Microgravity can teach you how to recreate weightlessness, without going into space.
Setting up
You'll need an experiment platform -- this can simply be a wooden board with a webcam attached. "However, you might also include a 'roll bar' to protect the hardware if the platform bounces and lands upside down," according to Chandler's Weightlessness And Microgravity.
Hit 'record' Place a cardboard box with a pillow below to cushion the blow as the platform drops (to achieve 0.6 seconds of microgravity, the drop needs to be two metres). Use a wireless webcam to record the change. Basic video-editing software will let you record and slow down the footage.
Light a candle There are a number of ways of illustrating the effects of microgravity. The easiest way is to mount a candle to your experiment platform with a black piece of card behind it. Attach the camera to face the candle. When all is ready, light the candle and then drop the platform.
View in slo-mo Slow down the recorded footage-see the flame go from a long slender flicker to a more squat round flame. During the drop, the hot gas expands in all directions due to reduced gravity, causing the flame to widen. If dropped from high enough, the flame will become spherical and turn blue.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
