What is the scientific explanation of why the astronauts tool bag floated away?
Gravity would exert force between a tool bag and a spaceship, but it would be very, very small. Law of Universal Gravitation F = (G(m1)(m2))/d^2 F = force G = gravitational constant (6.67 * 10^-11) m1/m2 = masses of the objects in question d = distance between the objects If we assume that the bag weighs 1 kg, and the spaceship weighs 2,000,000 kg (2,200 tons…), and they’re 1 meter apart (probably close enough for the astronaut to grab, but the farther it gets the more the force will disappear into decimals ^.^) F = (6.67*10^-11(1kg)(2,000,000kg))/1^2m = 0.000134 N That’s about 0.00003 lbs of force attracting them to each other, which will accelerate the bag at 0.000134 meters per second each second. The law of inertia, which states that it takes force to move or stop an object from moving, will easily overcome a force of gravity that small. If, for example, the astronaut’s hand brushed the bag and it got moving at 0.005 m/s (very slow) it would still be far too fast for the gravity
