2006-10-03 01:35:18 · 11 answers · asked by HarryBore 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I thought that the further away you are from earth the lesser the gravitational pull, therefore the closer you are to the origin of this force the stronger it is??
2006-10-03 01:41:41 · update #1
ITs just a question about gravitational force only, not whether my underpants would catch fire because of the temperature or any other variables like that!
Stick to the question please!
2006-10-03 01:47:00 · update #2
No. The gravitational force would be 1/8th as strong.
The reason is because the mass of the earth in the outer shell of matter that lies between the half-radius and the full-radius exerts gravitational forces on you from every direction that cancel each other out. So there is no net force on you from this chunk of matter. The only gravity you will experience is due to the inner spheroid of half radius.
If we make the simplistic assumption that the earth is of uniform density (which it isn't, but let's not get too complicated) then the inner sphere of matter contains 1/8th as much mass as the whole earth, because the volume is proportional to the radius cubed.
In reality this is complicated by the fact that the interior of the earth is molten and much of the heavier elements have drifted to the core. But the gravitational pull would still be very much less rather than more than at the surface.
Correction:
My response was a little hasty. The force will be half as strong, not 1/8th. What I forgot to consider in my first response is that you will be only 1/2 as far from the centre of mass, and gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of distance. This means that the force will be 4 times as strong as I stated in my first reply - i.e half as strong as at the surface.
2006-10-03 01:38:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Gravity is not concentrated at one point in the centre of the Earth but is a property of all the material of which the Earth is made so at a point half way to the centre the material between that point and the surface would also cause an attraction reducing the effective weight of anything there.
The one who replied that rotation causes gravity has been watching science fiction films where spacecraft rotate to produce a similar effect. This is centrifugal force.
Gravity is a force between all objects having mass so your object half way to the centre of the Earth is attracted in all directions not just down as at the surface.
Centrifugal force results from a moving body's tendency to travel in a straight line unless acted on by an external force. If constrained to travel in a circle an outward force is applied to the constraining force as the body tries to fly off at a tangent.
2006-10-03 21:26:38 · answer #2 · answered by David P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they'd both head for the middle of the earth. yet they'd collide on the way. The separation even as they emerge on the different area will be counted upon their diameter and elasticity. more beneficial balls would collide in the previous and performance more beneficial time to split. If the pliancy is 0, they'd stick mutually and emerge with 0 separation. If the collision is totally elastic, they'd separate on a similar speed that they got here mutually. the concern change into more beneficial complicated because they at the prompt are not move right away in direction of the middle of the earth. If, even if the fellow asking the question exhibits a fashion to get rid of the collision, the balls emerge with a similar separation as even as they entered. each and every travels on a line to the middle of the Earth. Its momentum brings it as a lot because the floor on the whole opposite area. From there, it reverses direction, falls back with the help of the middle and maintains to its beginning aspect.
2016-10-16 03:17:44 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no not at all, gravity doesnt get stronger or weaker towards the centre of the earth. Its the mass of the entire planet that providing the gravity - the only possbile way for gravity to increase is if we increased the mass of the planet
2006-10-03 01:38:58 · answer #4 · answered by Mr Gravy 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Interesting question. the pressure in a liquid (oceans) increases with depth, so i presume it will increase only at the depth at which you have drilled. The whole of the earth gravity field will stay the same.
2006-10-03 01:37:14 · answer #5 · answered by angel 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Half as strong as at the surface, approximately since the Earth's density is not constant.
Gravity has nothing to do with rotation, just masses and distance.
2006-10-03 04:09:07 · answer #6 · answered by DriverRob 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No but if you had a massive straw you could suck all the chocolate out and hold Cadbury's and Rowntree's to ransom.
2006-10-03 01:37:54 · answer #7 · answered by dunc 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
that would be an impossibility to do seeing as the closer to the core you get, the hotter it is and is in fact too hot to survive.
2006-10-03 01:45:03 · answer #8 · answered by nc_strawberry 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, gravity is not based on the mass, it's based on the rotation, and the gravity would decrease to almost nothing, just as gravity increases as you move to the edge of the atmosphere.
2006-10-03 01:43:19 · answer #9 · answered by jason p 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No the planet would deflate
2006-10-03 01:43:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋