if you drilled a hole through the center of the earth and dropped a ball down it what would happen?

Question

i know its impossible, and dont say it'd melt we are minusing the heat . i think it'd float in the center.

Answer 1

Technically, assuming all heat and other sources aside from gravity existed in this equation, your ball would fall to the center of the earth at the speed of gravity (plus acceleration) until reaching critical velocity.

However, once it crosses the exact center of the earth, the forces of gravity would now be pulling the ball back toward itself slowing it down and eventually reversing the process. As there is a terminal velocity this ball will reach, it will not make it all the way to the other side of the earth before falling back in. (The equations would be complex, but trust me in that it would not make it all the way there.)

Since it wouldn't make it all the way across, this pattern would continue until the ball reached a point where it would fail to meet it's terminal velocity. At that point, gravity would slow it down more and more (like gravity does on a pendulum) until the ball would exist in the center of the earth and remain for all time.

Answer 2

If we leave out the effect of friction with the air, the ball would accelerate toward the center of the Earth. As it descended, it's acceleration would decrease linearly until it reached the center of the Earth where its acceleration would be zero.

But, because it still had a velocity, it would continue through the center of the Earth and make it exactly to the other side before gravity's pull slowed the ball's speed to zero and started pulling it back toward the center of the Earth. What you would have is a huge pendulum.

However, if we consider friction that results from the presence of air, you must also consider terminal velocities, and dampening.

Answer 3

particular once you think of so as that there is not any concern with the magma etc, then the ball will do hassle-free harmonic oscillation suitable to the mean place being on the centre of the earth. The acceleration with the aid of gravity decreases as we flow deeper into the earth. g' = g (a million -- d/R) the place g is acceleration with the aid of gravity on the exterior of the earth. d is intensity and R the mean radius of the earth. If x be the area of the ball appropriate from the centre of the earth then x = R - d. Plugging d = R -- x interior the above expression we get g' = (g/R) x. This establishes the concern for SHM specifically the acceleration on the ball is without postpone proportional to the displacement of the ball from the mean place and continuously directed in direction of the mean place. Being w^2 = g/R, then the era of oscillation 2pi/w and so T = 2 pi ./(R/g)

Answer 4

I know this one; read it in a Science Journal.

The ball would go to the other end and come back although not all the way; it would repeat this cycle going less back and forth until it would suspend in the center of gravity or the center of the Earth.

Answer 5

It would stop in the middle, after that it wold be going against gravity. To come out the other side, it needs a speed of 7 miles a second or better.

Answer 6

i think you're write, because in the middle all directions are pulling the ball. so it'd float

Answer 7

im sorry, i dont know the answer, but WOW WHAT A COOL QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!