Astronaut Bone Loss In Space printable pdf download

Astronaut Bone Loss In Space

Astronaut Bone Loss in Space

Under low-gravity conditions, human bones respond by losing

mass. The longer an astronaut remains in space, the more bone loss

occurs. This is considered one of the greatest challenges to humans

operating in space for extended periods of time, such as journeys to Mars

and living in ‘space stations’. The above graph shows normal bone loss

with age for humans living on Earth. The average bone loss for some

astronauts is 1.9 percent per month.

Problem 1 – From the graph above, what is the average rate of bone loss

between age 40 and age 70 for A) Men and B)Women?

Problem 2 – Suppose a 40 year old male astronaut spent 6 months

aboard the International Space Station. If he started out with 1500 grams

of bone calcium, how much calcium would remain in his bones when he

returned to Earth?

Problem 3 - Suppose a 40 year old female astronaut spent 6 months

aboard the International Space Station. If she started out with 1200 grams

of bone calcium, how much calcium would remain in her bones when she

returned to Earth?

Problem 4 – From the graph, how old would both astronauts be in order to

have the same amount of calcium as they did after returning to Earth?

Space Math

Astronaut Bone Loss In Space