As I had expected, I am losing a little weight on this adventure because of all the activities we are doing.
However, the baggage scales at the Old West Train Station in Deadwood says just the opposite and that concerned me at first. Then I started mentally reviewing in my mind my old physics training.
As we all know, weight is determined by your mass in relation to the gravitational pull of large objects on us, like our earth or the moon.
For example, even though your mass does not change, you will weigh less on the moon than on earth due to the much smaller gravitation pull of the much smaller moon.
Since we have been traveling we have been moving further and further in to large, mountainous regions. Larger objects (Mountains) create a greater gravitational pull on another object and create the appearance of greater weight. (I need more research, but apparently this effects your appearance in photographs too).
Therefore I weigh less than the scales say.
Once I remembered this important scientific fact and applied the appropriate gravitational reducing scale factor to my current measured weight it turns out I am really only 205lbs, not 220+lbs like the stupid, luggage scale at the Old West Train Station said. Thus I have lost nearly 10 lbs in 2 weeks, not gained 5!
Weight * Mountainous gravitational scale factor = true weight.
220*.93=204.6
Whew! Science saves the day again!
Haha!!! All that hiking is adding muscle which weighs more. And what Stefan said!!!
You should apply for a government grant. I am certain that Obama will send some funds your way! After all, its simply not fair to compare the weight of kids in mountainous regions with kids in the flat lands. An algorithm should be developed! It’s for the children!
Eric, the flaw in your weight theory is that unless you’re standing directly on top of the mountain the earths center of mass will appear to be displaced laterally and upward and will actually subtract from your apparent mass.
You’ll need to do a Bouguer terrain correction. A refined Bouguer reduction removes the effects of terrain precisely. The difference between the two (the differential gravitational effect of the unevenness of the terrain) is called the terrain effect. It is ALWAYS negative. So are you are actually heavier than the scales would indicate.
You can test this yourself. Face the mountain.. does your beer belly get ever so slightly enhanced? It seems to from the pictures. Now, turn your back to the mountain. Does that make your butt look bigger? Again, from the photos, yes.
I always knew that grav-mag class would come in useful someday. Besides, how often do you get to mention Bouguer anomalies in polite company?
So now I have to explain to my grandson, that just because it sounds like science doesn’t make it true.