What happens if you could drill a hole from one side of the earth to the other then threw something down?

Answer 1

It would fall past the center of the earth go about 9/10ths of the way through to the other side, slow, stop, and fall back towards the center of the earth, go about 9/10ths of the remaining distance, repeat, over and over again, until it comes to a complete stop at the center.

Answer 2

Assuming some factors that aren't correct, but which simplifies the model, there is an interesting effect. Presume that the earth is the same density throughout. Presume that the hole is a vacuum, i.e. no air resistance. Assume that the hole goes straight down and not at an angle.

In that case, we would have a system that is a harmonic oscillator. In other words, it acts like a pendulum. The object at the surface will have a certain potential energy associated with it due to the force of gravity. As the object drops, the potential energy converts to kinetic energy, speeding up the object.

When the object reaches the centre of the earth, potential energy is at a minimum (gravity is zero as the earth pulls on it from all directions), but kinetic energy is at a maximum. As the object goes up the other side, the conversion process is reversed so that back at the surface on the other side, potential energy is back to the same level as when it started, but the kinetic energy is zero and the object stops until it fall back through the hole.

Under our system, this will be a perpetual process, with a period of oscillation roughly at 42 minutes. Of course, this is not applicable due to engineering issues. (We can't build anything to withstand the earth's core.) But it is a physics model that's taught in classes.

Answer 3

If drilling such a hole were possible, and assuming that the air inside the hole had not been evacuated, the item dropped, would reach its terminal velocity and from that point on its speed would remain relatively constant until it reached the center of the earth. And again, because of their resistance it would slow on its descent. Also, as it approached the center of the earth, the mass, now behind it would begin to offset the attraction of the mass still ahead.
As it passed the center, because of its momentum, it would begin to decelerate.
The object would then oscillate, back and forth on each side of the exact center of the earth.
And because of air resistance, the object would eventually reach a stable position floating at the center of the earth.(This assumes that the object remains in the exact center of the drilled hole.)
If the object was any closer to one side, the gravitational attraction of the mass that it is closest to, would attract it, and it would "fall" to that side.

If, on the other hand, the drilled hole is sealed on both ends, and evacuated, the dropped object, having no air resistance, would accelerate until passing the center of the earth, decelerate until it just touched the cap on the other side, and begin falling back down the hole from that far side of the earth.
Assuming no other forces but gravity then acted upon the dropped object, it would continue to oscillate from one side of the Earth to the other.
Again, this assumes that the object remains perfectly centered in the drilled hole, and the whole is absolutely straight.
if the item were actually thrown down the hole, and not just dropped,That extra input of energy at the beginning, unless applied absolutely perfectly evenly, and in an absolutely perfect straight line, the object would, in the evacuated whole scenario, fly out the other side to the height equal to the energy input of throwing the item.
In the instance described where the hole has been left with surface air pressure intact, the extra energy of throwing the item would make very little difference, air resistance would quickly overcome the extra speed induced by the throw, and the item would follow much the sa down the hole, and not just dropped.And again, all of this assumes that you have drill bits in such that could do the job.
In order to have it work with any degree of possibility(very very slight possibility) you'd have to drill along at the Earth's axis of rotation, from North Pole to South Pole.
Any deviation off the line of axis in the rotation of the earth would cause the sides of the hole to come into contact with the dropped object

Answer 4

If your drilling stayed in the earths crust you might stand a chance.
You would have to dig around to the other side of the planet. If you threw something into that hole, the reaction would be like any other hole. I guess it depends what that something was that you threw into that hole. Say if it was your mother-in-law. She'd probably manage to scramble out before she even hit the bottom.

Answer 5

Assuming ideal conditions (i.e. a vacuum etc.) then it would fall through the centre of the earth and and then just reach the surface on the other side (assuming a uniform spherical earth). It would then oscillate back and forth forever.
If I remember right, the time it would take to go all the way down and back is exactly the same as the orbital period at the earth's surface (again, assuming appropriate conditions)

Answer 6

If this were possible which of course it is not. I would suggest that the holes be drilled from different ends and not centered to each other. by joining the two holes in the middle via a chamber , the enrgy created in the middle by the two polarities north and south would create a field that can create perpetual motion. How about trying this in a lab.

Answer 7

Even if it is asumed that there is a hole dug like that the object thrown will remain in the centre of the Earth and will not come out from other side.

Probably the only thing u can throw thru that hole is some light.

Answer 8

let's see...
it would be practically impossible to drill a hole from one side of the earth to the other becos the earth's core is very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very hot. It is so hot that it would melt even hard rocks like granite.

but if it was possible to drill a hole from one end of the earth to the other then the something threw down would probably melt on the way down.

But if it didn't melt, then it will fall all the way to the centre of the earth, where there is no gravity, but because of its momentum, it will continue moving until it almost comes out at the other side. then, gravity would pull it down again and it would seesaw back and forth until it finally stops at the centre of the earth.

Answer 9

The object would oscilate up and down the hole.

I there was air present the resistance would slowly reduce the amplitude of the oscilation until it finally came to a stop at the centre of the earth.

Assuming theres no problems with drill bits and magma...

Answer 10

The bit would not make it through the hot core of the earth, even if it were long enough. But, I you did get through, the object would halt at the center where gravity would impact it from all sides and hold it there, with the devil