Something that always confused me was the distance between two points from high above. Suppose you are on a platform 500 miles above the earth, if you take 1 step, wouldn't it be equivalent to miles in distance on land? Whereas if you were on land and take one step, it is only the distance of one step. (2.5-3ft? maybe).
My question is probably similiar to that of missiles/meteors/spaceships and their trajectory for earth. Calculating this sort of thing seems mind boggling. As you move away, everything appears to move to a central point, (shortens) and as you move close, it appears to spread out (lengthens) from that central point. How does science/physics explain it? What's your opinion on this phenomenon?
2006-06-09 19:47:04 · 2 answers · asked by phishycoding 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
What you are confusing here is angular and linear distance. Your step 500 miles above the Earth would be the same size as on the ground. This is linear distance. Angular distance is more complicated. 3 degrees as measured at the centre of the Earth would subtend a smaller linear distance at ground level and a much larger one at 500 miles. Imagine two kebab sticks exactly meeting in the middle of an orange at an angle of 3 degrees, the further you get from the orange the kebab sticks are further apart. This is angular distance, not linear. Jules, Lecturer. Australia.
2006-06-09 20:03:54 · answer #1 · answered by Jules G 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean "distance from displacement"?? because length and distance are the same whereas displacement is different.
2006-06-10 02:53:42 · answer #2 · answered by Olive Oyl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋