At a certain hill in the Dominican Republic, if you stop your car and put it in neutral, the car will go up the hill by itself. What is causing this and why?
2007-05-15 10:06:28 · 16 answers · asked by Trellita 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
gravity hill, also known as a magnetic hill (and sometimes a mystery hill or a gravity road), is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill. There are hundreds of known gravity hill locations around the world.
2007-05-15 10:16:01 · answer #1 · answered by cynnkitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will not go up the hill. What probably happens is that it is an illusion. The car looks like it is going up hill, but it is actually going downhill.
I have visited a stream with the same sort of illusion. This is due to the rock strata which dip upstream and give the illusion that the stream is flowing upstream ( up hill ) too. But of course the water must flow downhill.
2007-05-15 10:15:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not an illusion though I myself am not sure what it is exactly, but I have experienced the same phenomena on this slope in Western Thailand (near Maesot) and the car does go up exactly the way the person who asked this question did. My friend from Thailand stopped the car and showed it to us, and its really amazing.
I have no concrete explanation, but my theory is that it probably has something to do with the earth's magnetism or gravity. We don't see it but it probably has to do with it happening in some way that is not very conventional.
2007-05-15 10:18:26 · answer #3 · answered by pj_boy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same thing happens on the magic road in the Comeragh Mountains in Ireland. We tell tourists it's a spell the leprachauns put on the fairy tree.
Actually it's a trick of the eye. Bring a spirit level and check the hill for yourself.
2007-05-15 10:12:55 · answer #4 · answered by des r 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you live near the hill, get a level and place it on the slope.
The slope isn't really uphill; it's just an optical illusion. The area is probably one with a general upward slope, so an area with a very small downward gradient wouldn't be noticed.
2007-05-15 10:11:06 · answer #5 · answered by MeteoMike 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
hmmm.....my old forth grade teacher told us about this and he said that the supervisior (or owner) TOLD him that both the gravitational poll and the magnetic fields are strong in the area. Note: The owner dosen't know what's causing all the magnetic energy. But, there are many hypothesis to it. Check the internet of scientists who are studing about this hill maybe they might have a solution or, rough idea.
2007-05-15 10:49:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are several places on Earth where it appears that things roll uphill. The fact is they're actually rolling downhill. The reason it looks like they're going uphill is that the trees and other objects in the area are tilted in such a way as to confuse your brain into thinking that downhill is uphill.
2007-05-15 10:13:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't have to go that far, unless that's where you are, in which case you don't have to go far...
There are lots of "Mystery spots" and "gravity hills" in the USA.
Visual illusions the lot of them, natural or constructed.
(But the senses can be *seriously* fooled)
Stranger things abound too, in Roadside America.
A full-size pink elephant wearing sunglasses?
That's no illusion.
2007-05-15 10:22:48 · answer #8 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Now that is strange, never heard of that before. Must be one weird place.
2007-05-15 10:09:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they did something on this show they said it was an optical illusion although i know the place exists
2007-05-15 10:10:03 · answer #10 · answered by jonny c 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋