From: utzoo!decvax!watmath!pcmcgeer
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Zero G scale
Article-I.D.: watmath.2495
Posted: Sun May 30 17:21:19 1982
Received: Mon May 31 00:37:09 1982
References: uwvax.402

	Maybe this answer was the one you were thinking of:
(i) Drop the idiot barometer from the top of the building, and time its fall.
Then, from s = 4.9t**2, calculate the height of the building (in meters).
(ii) Weigh the barometer at the foot and the roof of the building.  Then
from the (minuscule) difference, deduce the difference r1**2 - r2**2, where
r1 is the distance from the centre of the earth to the roof of the building,
and r2 the distance from the earth to the floor of the building.  This will
give you a pretty good indication.(Actually, this is a not bad way to find the
value of G).

An objection can be made to either of these, or Doug's at U. Wisc., or Mr
Solomon's, on the basis that they all require another piece of equipment.  Ok,
here is one that answers those objections.  Measure the wind velocity (which
can be determined with a barometer and skill).  Launch the barometer.  The
wind gives it an intitial velocity, which in turn makes the fall a parabola.
Measuring its landfall from the side of the building gives you the height.

				Rick McGeer at UW
				watmath!pcmcgeer