If you drill a hole through the centre of the earth to the other side and there was no chance that you would die, what would happen? Would you pop out the other side, or stay in the middle, taking gravity into account.
2007-02-07 03:15:33 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
As you fall down the hole, you lose potential energy and gain kinetic energy (and speed!). Once are at the exact center of the Earth, you can consider yourself to be included in the Earth system for gravitational force. You should not be able to leave this point, however you will be traveling at such a high speed, you would slingshot towards the other side, only to be slowed down the Earth's gravity. You will continue to move back and forth until you eventually come to rest at Earth's center.
2007-02-07 03:21:18 · answer #1 · answered by bradiieee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of correct answers below. In the one from Mr. President, though, there is an error. Velocity does not kill you. High acceleration can, though. You are travelling at much higher speed around the sun now than you would get falling through the Earth. The acceleration you would feel falling down the hole starts at the acceleration you have jumping of a chair, and gets LESS. So, worry about the heat, but not the speed.
2007-02-07 12:27:28 · answer #2 · answered by Rob S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if everybody who's asked this question tried it at once, there would be a massive traffic jam at the center of the Earth.
If you took turns, you'd fall to the center. Then your inertia would carry you almost all the way through to the other side--slowing all the while--until gravity finally stopped you. Then you'd fall back to the center and inertia would carry you almost back to where you started. You'd fall back through and do it all again, always slowing down just a little, going just a little less far from the center on every pass until finally you came to rest in the exact center of the Earth. Then the next guy would land on your head.
2007-02-07 11:22:27 · answer #3 · answered by Amy F 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You would drop through the earths crust, until you reached the other side, then you would fall back down, the velocity you gain from falling would give you enough momentum to reach the other side of the earth, but then you would start dropping again. If there were no air resistance, then you would continue that pattern forever. But because there is air resistance, you would eventually stop in the middle. Of course, if you somehow survived the heat, the velocity you would reach would most likely kill you anyway.
2007-02-07 11:27:18 · answer #4 · answered by Mr.President 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Would be like walking down hill until the center, then uphill the rest of the way. There would be a point in the middle where gravity was pulling you inward from all angles.
2007-02-07 11:50:02 · answer #5 · answered by doubledeckereater 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
neglecting air resistance and the earth spinning around the sun, you would oscillate back and forth. otherwise, your oscillation would decay until you came to rest in the center.
2007-02-07 11:24:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The earth is liquid in the center.
2007-02-07 11:22:11 · answer #7 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
it can be proved if earth is a uniform sphere then you will execute SHM with amplitude equal to radius of earth
2007-02-07 11:26:00 · answer #8 · answered by tarundeep300 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋