RVCC Society of Women Engineers Creates Moon-Scale for Planetarium
As part of the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, the RVCC Society of Women Engineers (SWE), guided by Professor Peter Stupak, has created a “Moon-Scale” that displays a person’s weight on the Moon. The team created the scale at the request of Planetarium Director Amie Gallagher.
Because the Moon is so much smaller than the Earth, a person’s weight on the Moon is only one-sixth his or her weight on Earth. So, a person who weighs 120 lbs. on the Earth will weigh only 20 lbs. on the Moon. The SWE Team used the idea of a playground see-saw to make a 6-to-1 length lever. The Moon-Scale user stands on the short end of the lever and force-sensors, taken from a bathroom scale, are placed six times farther away on the long end of the lever to measure the smaller weight, which is equivalent to the user’s weight on the Moon.
The exhibit will be included in the Planetarium’s “Moon Day: 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing” celebration, Saturday, July 20, from 1-5 p.m. For information about all shows at the Branchburg-based Planetarium, visit www.raritanval.edu/planetarium.
Ranked by BestColleges.com, WalletHub.com, and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a 1,000-seat Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.
The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, professional development, and adult and youth personal enrichment courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2019
Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383
PR #3