if you drilled a hole through the earth and you fell in would you just hover in the middle?

Question

just one of lifes funny dilemas

Answer 1

No, you would burn up in the intense heat of the earths core.

But read "The Hollow Earth" by Rudy Rucker for alternate theories. Has Edgar Allen Poe as a character. Fun read!

Answer 2

I'm with you here 100% - absolutely brilliant question so dont listen to all those pseudoscientists - you are absolutely right.

The earth's core might be a bit burny, but no doubt some geobungeeologist would figure out how to sheild you. The force of gravity pulls you to the centre of the planet, and of course you would hover, unable to fall any further.

If you manage to dig the hole, could I come with you to float cos it would be so much fun! Imagine, stuck in freefall without going into orbit!

Answer 3

I think so... except for the incredible heat at the Earth's core would toast you like a marshmallow... unless the hole through the Earth allows all the inner the heat to escape and the planet subsequently has a massive change in its rotation, or that the heat would be temporarily trapped in the atmosphere toasting everyone on the surface like marshmallows, before cooling and becoming a planet as dead as Mars.

Oops... I'm thinking too much about this question, aren't I?

Answer 4

What a coincidence! I've asked myself that question zillions of times, and I finally figured that first of all, no one could dig that far, but if you mean if it COULD happen, you would burn up in the intense heat of the Earth's core, so you wouldn't make it through. If it weren't for the core, I guess if you fell in the hole you would fall back and forth, back and forth because the Earth would keep pulling you to the center. You would have to be stopped by somebody on either side of the Earth, but it would take long for you to completely fall through from one side to the other, so you'd have to be careful! If you didn't get caught by someone or didn't grab on to a side for too long, you could starve or die of dehydration. Hope i helped and didn't bore you too much!

Answer 5

This is a very dangerous experiment. Don't try it. Last year, I foolishly dug a hole in my back garden to find the answer to this exact question. After 325 miles, red hot magma started gushing out, completely consuming half of my street and a Tesco Express. Luckily I managed to plug the lava spout with an old Fiat Panda. Apart from the odd rumble and an occasional trickle of magma from the exhaust, I think I've fixed it.

Answer 6

Theoretically, forgetting the heat, and the inabillity to tunnel through unknown rocks, metals, etc, you would reach your Terminal Velocity and slightly overshoot the centre due to your own bodyweight. After a bit of yo-yoing you would come to rest at the dead centre of gravity of the planet. You would then have to climb out whichever direction you took.

Answer 7

lets say the core didn't burn you and you went right through it then what would happen is you'd go through the core and be falling but then when you'd gone through the core you'd be on the other side and then start falling towards the core again cos the gravity is at the core so you'd sort of continually go between the core

Answer 8

I think you would fall only so far, then you would find yourself looking up and you would start falling back down again. You could never fall through the Earth.

Answer 9

Indeed, barring the intense heat, you would eventually settle at the center...after repeatedly falling both directions in the ultimate bungee jump.

Answer 10

Assuming that you wouldn't burn to a crisp, yes. Eventually all of the Earth's gravity would be above you and you would no longer fall.