If you dig a hole through the center of the earth, come out on the other side, and then let go, would you be falling down or floating up?
2006-11-08 09:10:50 · 12 answers · asked by Happyworms 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Up and Down are relative descriptions of motion. What would happen is that you would travel (fall) towards and past the centre of mass. This action would continue until equilibrium occurs and then you would be stationary at the centre of the mass. In other words you would bounce back and forth until any momentum has disipated - then you would be stuck in the centre of the earth.
2006-11-08 09:21:41 · answer #1 · answered by Scarp 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you would fall towards the centre. At the centre you would be weightless but you would have to climb out the other side since gravity will always try to pull you back to the centre.
Interestingly if there was a hole through the entire Earth and you fell into it you would accelerate up to a terminal velocity of 120mph or so (depending on weight andsize and upon variations in gravity and the density of the air in the hole) and then fall at constant velocity towards the centre. It will take around 100 hours at this speed to reach the centre of the earth. Your momentum will take you past the centre for a relatively short distance but you will decelerate to a halt in a few seconds and then fall back towards the centre. This will continue for a while with the overshoot becoming less and less until after a number of repetitions you would end up stationary, floating at the centre of the earth.......
Sounds like one hell of a trip, can I come?
2006-11-08 19:16:36 · answer #2 · answered by spoon_bender001 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would fall down, toward the center of the Earth, just like you would from the side where you started. The only place you would float would be at the center of the Earth.
2006-11-08 17:16:37 · answer #3 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you jumped in you would fall at a decelerating rate [ignoring the heat and the pressure] you would fall past the center,come to a stop then fall back and past the center again until,eventually,you would stop and be suspended at the exact center!
2006-11-09 11:49:21 · answer #4 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Falling down, because gravity will pull you down towards the centre of the Earth.
2006-11-08 17:13:14 · answer #5 · answered by anonymous_dave 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would be falling down. The earths gravity only makes you fall.
2006-11-08 17:51:01 · answer #6 · answered by spir_i_tual 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fall to the point of float, but you would be dead, forget the heat, moulted iron, gasses, but the pressure would kill you anyway. Hypothetically you would fall and slow down to the point of equal gravity.
2006-11-12 07:31:22 · answer #7 · answered by ?Master 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because gravity would be stronger the closer you get to the middle of the earth you probably wouldn't be able to get through to the other side, you would be stuck in the middle where gravity would be at its strongest point!
2006-11-08 17:19:13 · answer #8 · answered by mistickle17 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose you would be falling to the centre point of the earth and rising when you pass the centre of the earth.
2006-11-08 17:45:15 · answer #9 · answered by patsy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'd fall down, tired from all that digging
2006-11-08 17:19:35 · answer #10 · answered by bad_gurl_geo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋