How Long Would It Take To Fall Through The Earth?

TL;DR

Falling through a hole from pole to pole on Earth takes around 42 minutes due to gravitational forces.

Transcript

Hey there and welcome to Life Noggin! You know what would be really cool -- if we had a hole that travelled straight through the Earth from pole to pole. I mean, you could go from seeing Santa to seeing some penguins in Antarctica in no time at all -- well, assuming you’d survive that is. But anyway, you might be wondering: how long would a trip li... Read More

Key Insights

• 🕳️ Falling through Earth's hole takes approximately 42 minutes due to gravity.
• 🕳️ Acceleration changes as you move through the hole, affecting your speed.
• 🐚 Gravitational forces within a spherical shell cancel out, simplifying calculations.
• 🕳️ Without jumping out, you'd oscillate back and forth in the Earth's hole indefinitely.
• 🕳️ The journey through the Earth's hole involves complex gravitational interactions.
• 🤩 Understanding gravitational acceleration is key to comprehending the journey.
• 🕳️ Falling through a hole on Earth involves a continuous change in acceleration.

Questions & Answers

Q: How long would it take to fall through a hole from pole to pole on Earth?

Falling through the hole from pole to pole would take approximately 42 minutes due to changing gravitational forces affecting your acceleration.

Q: What happens to gravity as you fall through the hole on Earth?

Gravity accelerates your fall until you reach the center, where it stops, causing you to slow down, change directions, and oscillate back and forth in the hole.

Q: Why do gravitational forces cancel out within a spherical shell?

Gravitational forces cancel out within a spherical shell due to the uniform density, allowing for simplified calculations without needing calculus to determine individual forces.

Q: How does the changing acceleration affect your journey through the Earth's hole?

Changing acceleration causes you to speed up as you fall towards the center, then slow down as you approach the other side, eventually coming to a stop and returning back through the hole.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Falling through a hole on Earth takes 42 minutes due to changing gravitational forces.

• Gravity accelerates your fall until you reach the center, where acceleration stops.

• Without jumping out, you'll oscillate back and forth in the hole indefinitely.