Author Topic: Weighing rocks on the moon  (Read 2568 times)

Offline Hoonte

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Weighing rocks on the moon
« on: 03/17/2010 09:03 am »
I was reading a passage on the alsj a16 and came across this:

151:08:23 Duke: Okay, the SRC number 2 weighs 41 pounds (18.6 kg). SCB-3, which is in sample containment bag number 3, weighs 30 pounds (13.6 kg). SCB-1, which is in sample containment bag number 4, weighs 26 pounds (11.8 kg). Over.

What did they use to weigh the bags and where the measuring 'moon-pounds' or was it converted to 'earth-pounds'?
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Offline gomorrha

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #1 on: 03/17/2010 09:15 am »
I was reading a passage on the alsj a16 and came across this:

151:08:23 Duke: Okay, the SRC number 2 weighs 41 pounds (18.6 kg). SCB-3, which is in sample containment bag number 3, weighs 30 pounds (13.6 kg). SCB-1, which is in sample containment bag number 4, weighs 26 pounds (11.8 kg). Over.

What did they use to weigh the bags and where the measuring 'moon-pounds' or was it converted to 'earth-pounds'?

The mass of the rocks is the same on earth and on the moon. What differs is the weight force.

100 kg on earth have a weight force of 978-983 N (depending on where you are) on earth and 163 N on the moon.

And with G=m x g you calculate the weight (correctly the mass) of your rock.

Offline Hoonte

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #2 on: 03/17/2010 10:07 am »
I know but How did they weigh them and was the weight allready converted when the passed in on to houston?
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Offline gomorrha

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #3 on: 03/17/2010 10:26 am »
I know but How did they weigh them and was the weight allready converted when the passed in on to houston?

I have no idea what instrument was actually used but one of the smallest und lightest that come to mind is a simple spring scale.

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #4 on: 03/17/2010 11:58 am »
I know but How did they weigh them and was the weight allready converted when the passed in on to houston?

I have no idea what instrument was actually used but one of the smallest und lightest that come to mind is a simple spring scale.

A spring scale would have to be converted, but a balance scale would not need to be. Just a bit heavier and more complicated to use than a spring scale. Of course you could have two scales on a spring scale, one calibrated for earth g, the other moon g.
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Offline gomorrha

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #5 on: 03/17/2010 12:18 pm »
I know but How did they weigh them and was the weight allready converted when the passed in on to houston?

I have no idea what instrument was actually used but one of the smallest und lightest that come to mind is a simple spring scale.

A spring scale would have to be converted, but a balance scale would not need to be. Just a bit heavier and more complicated to use than a spring scale. Of course you could have two scales on a spring scale, one calibrated for earth g, the other moon g.

I doubt they used a balance scale. They would have brought along the counterweights.

Offline Hoonte

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #6 on: 03/17/2010 01:27 pm »
I've read some more on the apollo 11 on the alsj page and I found this passage.

[Very Long Comm Break. This last exchange with Houston indicates that they are near the bottom of Sur-62 and are verifying that they have the circuit breaker panels in the powerdown configuration given on pages Sur-22 and Sur-23. Next, they will drain the remaining feedwater from the PLSSs in some small collection bags and, then, after calibrating their small spring scale by weighing one of the RCUs, they will weigh the water bags and report the totals to Houston for use in calibrating PLSS performance.]
120:40:48 Conrad: Houston, you'll never believe what we've been doing for the last 35 minutes.
120:40:55 Gibson: Go ahead. We're waitin'.

120:41:00 Conrad: I am going to take this 35-cent (meaning "cheap") scale that they sent out here to weigh these bags with and break it over somebody's head.

It appears to be some small (cheap looking) spring scale (as far as A12 goes). I have no idea ow it looks and how it was callibrated


« Last Edit: 03/17/2010 01:28 pm by Hoonte »
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Offline Apollo-phill

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #7 on: 03/17/2010 01:54 pm »
HI

The Apollo lunar lander missions used a lightweight  spring scale - of similar type you will find in many households - which was flown on Apollo 14 through 17 with the readings being given in terrestrial pounds. Apollo-11 and Apollo-12 used a slightly different spring scale mechanism which proved to be inferior to the later scale.

Phill P.


Offline gomorrha

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Re: Weighing rocks on the moon
« Reply #8 on: 03/17/2010 02:03 pm »
HI

The Apollo lunar lander missions used a lightweight  spring scale - of similar type you will find in many households - which was flown on Apollo 14 through 17 with the readings being given in terrestrial pounds. Apollo-11 and Apollo-12 used a slightly different spring scale mechanism which proved to be inferior to the later scale.

Phill P.



Thank you for that information!

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