2007-07-09 06:42:03 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Sorry the rest of it is would the rock come out of the other side?
2007-07-09 06:44:20 · update #1
As it dropped to the center of the earth, and we are, of courses, discounting it melting as it approached the hot, molten core, it would reach terminal velocity.
The pull of gravity from different angles would start to influence it, since at the center of the earth, the mass of the planet surrounds the center point, which means gravity would be equalized in all directions.
If it had any momentum left at that point, it might start going "up" the hole to the otherside, but gravity would begin working against it.
So, no.
To respond to some other posts, gravity won't just diminish, the gravitational pull will change completely. The center of the earth would have neutral g.
2007-07-09 06:48:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Assuming its possible to drill the hole and the core wouldn't melt the rock and blah blah, the rock would reach the other side and fall back into the hole, then it would fall to the other side (where you originall dropped it from).
It would do this forever, if you ignored drag and air resistance, in which case it would eventually stop at the center.
The gravity of the earth would make the rock act as a pendulum, just moving back and forth.
2007-07-09 13:46:54 · answer #2 · answered by therealchuckbales 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is air in the tube, the rock would reach its terminal velocity. As gravity diminished nearer to the center of the Earth, the rock would slow down, finally coming to a stop at the center.
If there is no air in the tube, the rock would accelerate up to very high speeds, pass through the center, and continue, slowing down. It would emerge from the other side of the Earth, then fall back down, oscillating back and forth like this.
2007-07-09 13:46:28 · answer #3 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, a rock would not come out the other side of the Earth. Once it got to the center, there would be gravity pushing evenly on the rock causing it to stop in the exact center even if there was more room for it to fall.
2007-07-09 13:55:03 · answer #4 · answered by Mad Matt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reading some or the answers here i started thinking that even if you do the hole and all the gravity effect that your rock will experience they are not considering all the air that will be suck from the atmosphere and the pressure that is down there....the rock will not come out the other side.
2007-07-09 15:17:15 · answer #5 · answered by Angie M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You couldn't drill a hole through the Earth. A few miles down and you would hit magma and the rock would melt.
2007-07-09 13:50:24 · answer #6 · answered by guy_from_Dallas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you drilled a hole through the center of the earth through and through the earth's gravity would cease to exist. The earth would implode becasue of the pressure of gravity pulling on itself from one side to the other through the "hole"
2007-07-09 13:50:59 · answer #7 · answered by Tex 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shoot, floodtl! How did we miss this one?!?!
Obligitory answer: if we ignore air resistance, anisotropies in the earth's mass distribution, coriolis forces, lava, Satan, and everything else that would stop the rock, then YES, it will reach the other side and then fall back in and execute simple harmonic motion. In real life, though, there's no way in hell (pun intended) the rock could make it though.
2007-07-09 13:45:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Wow! That's some drill ya got there!
2007-07-09 13:51:19 · answer #9 · answered by j c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep
2007-07-09 14:07:11 · answer #10 · answered by Scott 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋