(no subject)

[bloodofareptile]

So, I just re-watched the Angel season five episode 15 - "A Hole in the World".

So, the premise was that all the sarcophagus-es of the Old Ones were in the "Deeper Well", which was a hole that went all the way through the world. Spike got on this tangent about how there could be someone standing on the other side of the world staring into the same hole he was.

So, suspending disbelief about the possibility of a hole that goes through the center of the earth...

What would happen if you jumped? Surely at the center, the force of gravity from both surfaces would be equal, and you would hover indefinitely. Well, probably after bouncing back and forth a bit from the velocity of your fall... But /then/ hover indefinitely.

Seems like a great way to get rid of my enemies. *coughs* Hypothetically.

Comments

[asheep.livejournal.com]

Quite a common exercise for people studying newtonian gravity for the first time.
You're correct - assuming no other forces they'd actually oscillate in simple harmonic motion forever. Add in friction though and the motion would be dampened and they'd eventually end up hovering at the centre.

[banshee99.livejournal.com]

Well, technically, wouldn't your momentum from dropping force you past that point of dueling gravity?

Regardless, you show me where to throw'em. =D

[deadmaker.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I thought that I remembered reading that the temperature at the core of the Earth is somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 degrees Celsius. Would that not be enough to completely disintegrate a human body before it got to the point of hovering indefinitely?

[babydreams2004.livejournal.com]

I am on MSN messenger now (lunch break at work).

Just saying.

(12:24 my time -- 1:24 yours)

[bloodofareptile.livejournal.com]

Missed you. :(

And unless you managed to send this message from the future, we're on the same time. :-p

(I'm on eastern - are you?)