Digging a hole through the earth?

Question

Just say for no reason that you were able to dig a hole through the earth, when you get to the center of the earth would you have to start digging upwards? Remember where ever you are people are standing up.

Answer 1

As you approached the center of the sphere (I won't call it the earth, because it would be impossible to achieve on Earth), the mass of the sphere would be distributed equally around you, and thus, you would experience weightlessness. It is a convenient model to say that the center of mass of each body is attracted to the center of mass of the other, but in reality each mass exerts its own gravity (each molecule, atom, subatomic particle, etc). The net effect of these masses can usually be expressed neatly as a single "center of mass", but in the case where one mass is embedded within a second mass, the distributed mass effect has to be taken into account.

That being said, as you continue in the same direction as you came (which, since you're weightless, is neither up nor down), eventually you will begin to experience that you are climbing UP as the net mass of the sphere develops a pull toward the center (back to the normal case).

Answer 2

If it were possible, once you get through the center of the Earth, you would be digging against gravity, since gravity is towards the center of the Earth. I guess you would be digging upwards, but you wouldn't be able to dig straight out from the center to the crust because gravity would take over and make you fall back down the long tunnel you just dug. Maybe I am just thinking too much into this though.

Answer 3

Assuming that the center of the Earth was not molten, and you could actually dig a hole all the way through the Earth then, yes, after you passed the center of mass of the Earth you would be digging upwards. "Up" is defined as the opposite direction from the center of mass. Remember, gravity pulls you toward the center of mass.

Answer 4

outdoors the earth, the gravitational stress is proportional to a million/r^2, yet interior a physique like the earth the stress is proportional to a million/r (assuming consistent density). whenever you have a stress like this pointing inwards proportional to a million/r you have straight forward harmonic action. So assuming there became no air resistance throughout the time of this tunnel, you may pass the comprehensive way with the aid of to precisely the different floor shifting in precisely the comparable way as a weight on a spring. Oh, I misinterpret the question. you will come out the feet first in case you went in feet first, there'd be no source of torque to rotate you.

Answer 5

You would still be digging down, but in relation to the people on the other side of the earth, your entire journey would be digging upwards.

Answer 6

Check out the link: Hollow Earth theory...

Answer 7

Regardless of where you are, down is towards the center of gravity and up is away from the center of gravity.