then y is the dropped stone come down to earth in straight line rather than in circular orbit
2007-02-12 17:03:13 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
That ball dropping in a straight line?
Is actually traveling at around 2,000 miles an hour in conjunction with the rotation of the earth.
2007-02-12 17:18:38 · answer #1 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all orbits are circular. A rock falling to the Earth technically is in an elliptical orbit. The only problem is the ground stops it from going any further. If the Earth were a point in space instead of a large object (and there was no air friction, and ignoring relativistic effects, as Earth that small would technically be a black hole), the rock would continue to accelerate to the center of this point then quickly shoot back around and back up to where it started in a very eccentric elliptical orbit.
2007-02-13 01:10:18 · answer #2 · answered by Arkalius 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to you, the stone is heading in a straight line because everything, even you, the ground, the earth is all rotating at the same speed.
to an observor from space, he would see that indeed the dropped stone is rotating in a circular orbit, including you, the ground and the Earth.
this is the theory of general relativity.
oh yea, Einstein wrote that too.
2007-02-13 02:41:21 · answer #3 · answered by FooFighter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all things come down curved ...why the earth moves,, and all time and space is the same. 1 all things go round that's how mass works in space some space is dark and we can.t see the form but I say round it has to do with graved Fields out in space the earth and sun all mass has some pull . Good luck
2007-02-13 01:28:41 · answer #4 · answered by rocketman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It only appears to you to be dropping in a straight line, because you are standing on the same ground that is moving. For instance, if a boy was sitting on a moving train tossing a ball up and down, to him it would appear that the ball was moving straight up and down. But if you were standing stationary on the outside of the moving train, the ball would appear to move in an arch.
2007-02-13 01:16:07 · answer #5 · answered by m13 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you work out the equation of motion in what is called Minkowski space where time is an added dimension, the path is curved. It's only a mathematical tool. What we see in our three dimensional world is a straight line.
2007-02-13 01:08:15 · answer #6 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you might see it straight but you were not able to see the small curve, and the earth has a stronger gravity compared to the small stone
2007-02-13 01:43:53 · answer #7 · answered by probug 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋