G-Force facts for kids

This acrobatic airplane is pulling up in a +g maneuver; the pilot is experiencing several g's of inertial acceleration in addition to the force of gravity. The cumulative vertical axis forces acting upon his body make him momentarily 'weigh' many times more than normal.

The g-force of an object is its acceleration relative to free fall. On earth the force is 1g, or 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s2), but astronauts experience unusually high and low g-forces. g-force can also be seen on rollercoasters. When the coaster goes down the drop, you are pushed back into your seat because of g-force.

Images for kids

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  This top-fuel dragster can accelerate from zero to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) in 0.86 seconds. This is a horizontal acceleration of 5.3 g. Combining this with the vertical g-force in the stationary case using the Pythagorean theorem yields a g-force of 5.4 g.

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  The Superman: Escape from Krypton roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain provides 6.5 seconds of ballistic weightlessness.

See also

In Spanish: Fuerza g para niños