Real-Life Math
In many ways, astronauts rely on mathematics to get them into orbit.
Traveling in space safely requires millions of calculations for each launch.
And while massive supercomputers do most of those calculations, astronauts
are always using math on their own as well.
Let's say you're
an astronaut on a space shuttle flight that will last seven days. As with
most flights, several experiments will be conducted during the mission. You
will oversee one called the Middeck zero-gravity experiment.
The experiment
deals with the effects of weightlessness on construction materials -- and
may provide the basis for future construction in space. You are responsible
for monitoring the computerized record-keeping for the experiment.
To
make sure the experiment is running smoothly, you do a mathematical check
once a day. The computer weighs each sample in the experiment every hour,
measuring changes in density and other characteristics. You double-check the
weight calculation on a single sample as follows:
Find
the weight of the sample five hours before your check and the current sample
weight. Both should be recorded in the computer.
Average the two weights
and find 10 percent of that average.
Subtract that figure from the
starting weight and add it to the end weight.
Check to be sure that
all the hourly measurements during the intervening four-hour period are within
the range of the two resulting numbers.
Remember that
astronauts work with metric measurements.
On this day:
Your
starting weight (five hours ago) was 0.0056 grams
Your end weight (now)
is 0.0075 grams
Your four hourly measurements are: 0.0049,
0.0061, 0.0079, 0.0080
Is the experiment on track?