(forget the fact its red hot in the middle), and dropped a brick through the hole would it come out the other side or eventually stop in the middle?
2007-10-19 12:07:01 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
If the earth were of uniform density and there were no loss of mechanical energy, the brick would oscillate sinusoidally back an forth through the earth from one side of the world to the other. With a nonuniform density, the brick would still oscillate but there would be variations from the sinusoid. With energy losses, the brick would oscillate around the center of the earth until eventually all the mechanical energy had been dissipated, at which point the brick would come to rest at the center of the earth.
2007-10-19 12:18:23 · answer #1 · answered by devilsadvocate1728 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depends on where you dropped it, since in most places on land, the antipodes are water. If you posit a location that is further from the center than the antipode, a frictionless hole, etc., it would pop out of the hole to about the same distance from the center as the start. Otherwise it would oscillate back and forth and eventually stop in the center.
Since the center is not only red hot, but molten, friction exists, air resistance exists, etc., it is all a fantasy any way.
2007-10-19 12:13:15 · answer #2 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It would drop down until nearly out the other side then fall back in until nearly out of the hole it fell in. It would continue like this (simple harmonic motion) with the oscillations getting smaller each time until it would finally stop in the middle. This is just a theory, though, no-one has ever proved it.
2007-10-19 12:54:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would stop in the middle. But our kid lives in Sydney, so if you drill the hole, I'll get him to stand at the other end just in case.
2007-10-19 12:50:41 · answer #4 · answered by Ahwell 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
duno but given the choice i think id drop a video camera that could transmit wi fi , rather than a brick. Might learn a bit more ?
2007-10-19 12:12:34 · answer #5 · answered by Max Power says relax 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
All the runny stuff would fall out of the bottom
2007-10-19 13:05:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good idea about the video camera thumps up
2007-10-19 12:14:04 · answer #7 · answered by den 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would fly out and kill some poor Chinese man. But we will never know.
2007-10-19 12:13:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it would stop in the middle.
Gravity pulls to the centre of the earth, not the otherside of the world.
2007-10-19 12:10:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
yep it would stop in the middle
2007-10-19 12:15:58 · answer #10 · answered by nici c 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋