Is it true that if you dig deep enough, you'll end up in China?

Question

If you all say yes; me and my brother Iggy plan to start digging, and aim a little to the left, so that we can steal Russia's oil from underneath.
If all goes well, we plan to start burnin' super-unleaded in our old Chevy pick-up truck by next Thursday.
Since the earth is tilted on it's axis, we wont even need to pump it.---We can just wait til night time, and it should just drain right down into our back yard.
Since we're new in the oil business, we would appreciate any advice you can give us.

JUST PLAIN JIM:---Gosh, is there any way I can get those points back?
I plan to retire soon, and I sure could use them.
Damn: ---I just blew 5 big ones.
I wish you could have gotten to me sooner.

THOM T:----Hey Ausie: we weren't planing to dig for sandwiches,---only oil.
We make our sandwiches in the kitchen up here.
But that broken china sounds interesting, ---maybe you got there and didn't know it.
Better take another crack at it mate.

TROUBLE M:---Details, details, enough with the details already.
Columbus didn't give up, and neither will I and brother Iggy.
You'll have to pry this shovel from my cold dead hands.
Sail on brother.

MARVINSU:---Pretty good thinkin', but we ain't got no steam engine in our old Chevy pick up- truck.
But, thanks anyway.
And about that ladder:---we was plannin' to use a rope til we got to the middle, then when the gravity stopped pullin' on us, it would be like goin' down hill cause the space behind us would be empty.
However ,I confess, we ain't got too far on our thinkin on that yet.
Any ideas?

Also: we ain't worried about the heat, cause we used to be voluntary firemen back home;---and we both got thermal underwear.

MARVINSU:---You're so negative.---We know it might get a little tricky, but we're determined.
We figure that if we do most of the diggin' at night, the cool air commin' in the hole will solve that heat problem, and we plan to bring an extra rope.---So lighten up Mr. Negative.

MARVINSU:---Oh you bet your bippy we're gonna take a jug of our corn squeezins on the trip; but you're gettin a bit confused when you warn about heat, and then tell us to take a steam engine.
If you're serious about becoming our partner, ya better work on your logic.
We want only the best minds involved in this here project.

Oh. --FYI---We plan to join the second rope with bungy-chord, and keep em wet all the time.
Now just cool it with the negative vibrations.
I'm beginnin' to believe you're a Russian spy, trying to stop our project.
If you're an American:---who won the World Series?

Answer 1

There are certain engineering calculations that you should do before you start digging:
What material for the ladder? Minimum weight per unit length, minimum cross-sectional area, maximum tensile stress per unit area if you intend to hang it on a hook, buckling strength if you stand it on the ground, etc. And melting point could be another consideration.

That brings up another question. Why bother with the oil? Just go down far enough to generate steam and then bring the energy up the ladder in the form of electricity or heat!

If I have saved you some effort, I would like a share of the profits. Please!

Edit 1) If you use a rope, you have to worry about maximum tensile strength per unit area. And the more area, the more weight. One thousand miles of one-inch thick rope will weigh more than a one-inch thick rope can take, especially if it's on fire. And then you will fall another three thousand miles.

And if you make it to the center, you will have to climb four thousand miles to the surface. On what rope?

Please reconsider that steam engine. That Chevy block could come in handy. Lot's of luck!

Edit 2)
If you want cool air, you will have to start digging above the Arctic Circle, what with global warming and all. And you will come up in the Antarctic Circle, which is low on oil.

Also, extra rope will add to the strain on the first rope, increasing the probability of failure. But if you are really determined, put some of that stuff you're drinking into your back pack. But please think about that steam engine.

Answer 2

The cost involved in digging such a hole over that distance would cost zillions of dollars .you do know that the deeper you go the warmer it gets . Have you considered how you will cool your tunnel to the oil .

This is more of a long distance slant tunneling operation to avoid surface detection .

This will not help as the seismic activity of digging the hole will show up on Russian seismographic equipment long before you reach the black gold .

Good luck anyhow and wear proper gloves for digging and safety ropes so you can return to the surface . A ladder could become dislodged and you would be traped at depths below several meters .

With tools though you could in time step dig and fill a way out .

Answer 3

That false impression stems from the reality that North u.s. and China are at a one hundred eighty degree place regarding a minimum of one yet another. So technically in case you dug a hollow deep sufficient you will possibly finally come out in China. the only difficulty with it relatively is so which you are able to no longer dig a hollow deep sufficient. I say you are able to no longer dig a hollow deep sufficient through fact the earth's center is crammed with molten rock it relatively is in basic terms too warm for all and sundry to stand up to.

Answer 4

Impossible.
China and the USA are both in the northern hemisphere.

If I remember correctly, dig straight down and you'll end up somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

I'd suggest you go north to Alaska.

And you wasted 5 points on that?

Peace

Jim

.

Answer 5

Well, the antipode for China is in South America (Chile and Argentina), so good luck.


Antipode = opposite side of world

Answer 6

I started diggin in my back yard and I found lots of broken china.
I think you are about two sandwiches short of a picnic, as we say in Australia.

Answer 7

Just keep on digging for the next fifty years....hehe...

Answer 8

Well...actually...if you dig deep enough you'll wind up incinerated.
Keep us updated though.

Answer 9

It depends on where you start digging.

Answer 10

Certainly more than we expect!