Inertial shear forces and the impact on facilities for the International Space Station

Inertia/shear force is a surface force that is generated in centrifuges, especially with attached samples on flat surfaces, and plays a significant role in gravitational and space research. The magnitude of this force is proportional to the radius of the centrifuge and surface area of the sample compartment. In gravitational research we want to study the impact of weight on a system. However, the force of inertia/shear is perpendicular to the gravity vector; hence, results may be obscured or even misinterpreted by this artifact.