2006-10-26 23:41:09 · 9 answers · asked by td321123 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It is unlikely. Most materials such as steel will fail in compression from their own weight (not to mention the weight of floors and walls, etc.) if built too high. Perhaps a steel "mountain" would not fail in compression but the weight would actually depress the earth's crust as present mountains now do. Of course a strange skyscraper of very light material filled with helium gas might scrape the sky but it would have little or no buoyancy at the edge of the atmosphere. The building would have to have a net weight (weight minus buoyancy) of about 14.7 pounds per square inch, atmospheric pressure available to support the building.
2006-10-27 00:28:13 · answer #1 · answered by Kes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll answer this question with a little future twist.
First I would direct your attention to the space craft idea of a tether.
Essentially a long cable with a weight at one end tends to elongate.
Now imagine you have a rope with a weight at one end and you twirl in a circle, then the rope becomes taunt. Now if you slow down the rope collaspes.
A tall enough tower will have the same effect. At some point the gravitational attraction will be balanced out by the centripetal force (due to teh Earth's rotation, 4PiMr/dt^2, where dt is 24 hours(change it to seconds), r is the distance from teh center of teh Earth, Pi is about 3.14; Thus the farther out you go the more force is needed to keep dt to 24 hours).
However the strength of the material needed to be able to get to that length doesn't conventionally exist.
However carbon nanotubes might provide the strength to build such a tower. And I am sure that at some point the material will exist.
Hope this helps
2006-10-27 08:45:29 · answer #2 · answered by Dr JPK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, why not?
Imagine the foundation needed to support such a huge sky scraper...good luck with your imagination...
2006-10-27 06:48:13 · answer #3 · answered by olivettiz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its possible, but don't forget that the higher a builing, the more its tendency to start tilting. And even if it gets built, what will be the point since ppl wont be able to live there?
2006-10-27 07:02:02 · answer #4 · answered by DAMOLA A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, The higher you go the more force is exerted on the base & the more force the more heat it will generate.The restricting point to the hight will be the melting point of the base.
2006-10-27 06:49:45 · answer #5 · answered by Ellen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would think it would collapse under it's own weight before you finished it.
2006-10-27 13:59:30 · answer #6 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I very much doubt it, and even if you could what would be the point? nobody would be able to breathe.
2006-10-27 06:48:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
we share the same dream...
.. and yet nobody understands us
2006-10-27 09:39:40 · answer #8 · answered by Grand Phuba 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No
2006-10-27 06:42:42 · answer #9 · answered by Biker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋