I am not a physicist, just a curious mind. I was reading a novel by Iain Banks where it was mentioned, that shifting from artificial rotational "gravity" (in space, on a rotating space craft) to real gravity caused some level of discomfort.
And this has me thinking; is there any truth to that? I mean I am aware that reading a science fiction novel does not science make; however it also strikes me as an unlikely story line to inject in there if it was not founded on at least some real theory or actual reality.
So I guess it boils down to this. From the perspective of the individual experiencing it, is there any notable difference from being rotated and thereby experiencing a sensation of gravity, to a person experiencing real gravity (from the attraction of mass)?
Best Answer
I think a rotating frame would have both a centrifugal force, mimicking gravity, and what is called a Coriolis force. So, for example, if you would throw a ball straight up in the air in the rotating space station, you would see it move sideways too, because the outside of a wheel always rotates faster than the inside.
It's possible that the people in the space station could feel this Coriolis force, hence the reason for the discomfort.