If I drill a hole in planet Earth - right through to the other side, and one day (say when I'm drunk) I fall through the hole, what will happen? Will I fall through to the other side, or will gravity keep me stuck in the core or will I float out to space?
2006-10-07 02:23:08 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No, you'd only fall as far as the gravitational pull of the Earth will allow you (which is the exact centre of the Earth) added to the momentum you'd fall in the opposite direction of the gravitational pull beyond the centre.
You would eventually reach a point of stasis in the exact centre. Much like a weight on a string.
2006-10-07 02:28:57 · answer #1 · answered by Twinkles 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well lets assume to begin with that you can sustain such a hole, maybe by lining with a (heat resistant) pipe. Next that you can survive the temperature, and that the temperature and pressure atmospheric conditions at each end are similar, so as not to produce excessive air flow.
In a vacuum you would fall as far past the centre as the distance to it, emerging at the other side, just, by which time your velocity will be zero, you will continue to oscillate about the centre as like a weight bouncing on a string. Once air resistance comes into the equation, it serves to damp this oscillation, and limit the maximum velocity you can achieve. So you would fall not too far past the centre, then oscillate back and forth for a while and then at the centre you would feel suspended weightless and floating. Bit of a waste of time really, but might save on heating costs given the high price of energy these days.
2006-10-07 02:45:29 · answer #2 · answered by CJ p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Now that`s an imaginative question :-)
I think, that if you drill a hole all the way through the Earth, you will pop up at the opposite side of it and gravity will hold you, as it is holding you anywhere on the planet`s surface.
But I`m not quite sure what will happen with you passing through the core... well, you`ll melt for sure, but let`s say you`re invulnerable to damage.... then I guess you`ll be fine, it`s not a black hole in there, so that gravity grips you in an eternal hug ;-)
2006-10-07 02:27:36 · answer #3 · answered by Ateviel 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, you need to know what causes gravity.
( In simple terms gravity is caused due to mass.)
At the center of the earth, there is equal mass all around you, because you are at the center of a sphere. Thus, there will be no gravity at the center of the earth.
As you jump into the hole, gravity will pull you in.
The force of gravity will decrease as you move towards the center.
When you reach the center, there will be no force acting on you, but you will have a lot of speed. So you will go beyond the center.
But then gravity will start pulling you backwards.
You will once again be pulled towards the center, and this time you will go further up the center.
This will continue forever, and you will be oscillating(going up and down) about the center.
But since there is air, you will finally come to rest at the center of the earth.
2006-10-07 03:01:18 · answer #4 · answered by jimmy_siddhartha 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are some obstacles to it.
First, high temperature and liquid lava inside Earth.
Suppose, lava is absent, Eart is hard, and temperature is the same as in your room through the whole hole.
Then Second. You will gain more and more speed aproaching to the centre, and the more dense air will slow you up, then you will loose your speed while going from the centre, and the air again will slow you up. So you will not reach the level of the opposite site of the surface, and you will begin to fall back to the centre.
Suppose, the air has no inluence on you.
Then the Third. The Earth is spinning aroud itself, and when you begin to fall, you have some horisontal speed. When you fall deeper to the centre of the Earth, you will be pressed to one side of the hole, and the force of friction will restrain you, brake you, and heat you up. So again, you will not reach the opposite surface of the Earth.
2006-10-08 10:45:09 · answer #5 · answered by Oakes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pretending that molten lava doesn't exist and therefore ignoring the possibility of melting, you would oscillate back and fore about the centre of the earth with simple harmonic motion.
You would fall towards the centre under the force of gravity on our side but the force would lessen, the nearer the centre you got. As you passed the centre then the gravitational pull would reverse, slowing you down and eventually pulling you back towards the centre. Thus this process would keep going repeatedly. There would be a damping effect of air resistance taking energy from your moving body which means you would eventually come to rest at the centre and stay there.
To demonstrate the point watch a pendulum swing back and fore, it moves with simple harmonic motion too but eventually comes to rest as energy is lost to friction and air resistance.
2006-10-09 01:10:30 · answer #6 · answered by john_banana 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you recognize, you would be incinerated by making use of the situations deep in the Earth. If we assume that this does not ensue... neglecting air resistance, and assuming that the Earth is a suitable sphere, you ought to fall to the centre of the Earth and your momentum might then carry you to the different side. I study someplace that this technique might take 40 two minutes whether i'm unsure if this is a competent calculation. you will possibly then start up falling decrease back in the course in which you got here, and proceed oscillating continuously. If air resistance is taken under consideration, you will not attain the different end of the tunnel; you will finally settle in the centre.
2016-10-18 23:27:55 · answer #7 · answered by comesana 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if the side of the hole was sealed to keep out lava, and the air was evacuated to make a vacuum, and the opening on the hole on the other side was at the same elevation (both at sea level, for example) then this is what would happen:
Initially you would start falling downward, accelerating at 1 G. Your acceleration would uniformly drop off to zero at the centre of the Earth and would uniformly increase to 1 G at the other end. You would briefly pop out to peek out the other side of the world, and then fall back to your starting place. Neglecting air resistance, this would continue indefinitely.
2006-10-07 02:34:13 · answer #8 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you think about it: You will be falling half way through and weirdly enough elevating through the other way. (with the general assumption of no core i.e molten lava in btw)
In the realms of physic, ideally the kinetic energy gained falling half way through by the time you pass the centre will be throwing you up through the other half to level up on the other side (not falling or thrown up)
However there are interesting factors that doesn't make it exactly so on earth.
1. Due to the effect of drag, when falling you are likely to reach a terminal velocity whilst falling which means the total transfer of potential to kinetic energy on your body is limited to that terminal velocity i.e the rest is lost to drag. So once you pass the centre there is not enough energy to get you through the other half.
2. The earth is not a perfect sphere which mean distance of one half to the centre could be different from the other. so the energy transfer potential to kinetic to potential. the P is not = P
2006-10-07 02:38:19 · answer #9 · answered by Sons of Light 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you won't since you will be stuck at the middle of the hole because the gravitational pull will be vey severe there. The gravity works as if it is pulled from the centre of the Earth and all the gravitational pulls culminate at the centre forcing you to the centre and no way out.
2006-10-07 02:44:51 · answer #10 · answered by Mathew C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋