Pitt Stop

[DezNutz]

Ok so get this: Someone put a pound of bricks and a pound of feathers into space. Which one weighs more?

Neither. Try something that isn't like 50 years old.

[Mack]

Turkey! BEER!

[Soliel]

Ok so get this: Someone put a pound of bricks and a pound of feathers into space. Which one weighs more?

Of course, you'd be tempted to say neither since weight is based on the influence of gravity, generally insignificant in space. That's just it though: it's insignificant, not nonexistent.

Gravitational force, measured as weight, is still present relative to any mass and is inversely proportional to distance d between the objects squared (re: Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation). In fact, even if one were to ignore weight relative to other masses (planets/suns/etc.) as insignificant, they still have weights relative to each other that are equal and opposite in direction.

So, assuming they're both equally distant from all masses? They weigh the same. Same case if you ignore all other masses.
If one is a bit closer to, say, the sun (since it's the most massive thing nearby), then that weighs more by a factor of how much closer it is squared.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[Meliva]

also the answer depends on what is or is not keeping the feathers together. If nothing, then I would say the bricks would probably weigh slightly more- since a single brick can easily weigh more then a pound. While you would need many feathers for a pound-which would probably drift apart in space. If the pound of feathers is kept together then they would weigh slightly more-since you would count the pillow case/string/glue whatever that keeps it together.

This all also depends Pixels answer of what is or isn't nearby.

Boring talk aside, happy thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans I'm gonna eat a lot of pie today, so today is a good day.

[Soliel]

My assumption was that both the brick(s) and feathers were both exactly a pound on earth, so they have the same mass, and both conformed to the distribution and shape of a uniform sphere. Perhaps the feathers were held together by their own gravitational forces?

More boring talk aside, happy Thanksgiving indeed. Any day with lots of pie is a good day, but eating lots of pie on this day is socially acceptable, which makes it better

[Meliva]

I mean, the feathers might be a pound, but nobody ever mentions how they stay together. If you just stacked them all together, a slight breeze could topple them. So if you took something like a pillow case to hold them all, then it weighs more then one pound.

You know, I'd honestly like to see someone actually gather a pound of feathers, and a one pound brick/stone and ask folks which they think is heavier.

[Leo]

Ahh, feathers smeathers! I'm gonna go eat a pound of pie, how about that?

[Meliva]

Not if I eat it first.

Unless it's Pecan, or Sweet potato pie, you can have all that trash. But pumpkin, apple, cherry, those are mine

[Leo]

I'm heading for the french silk. Don't try to stop me.

[Meliva]

never had that before. The only french food I eat are their fries .