Molydood said:If I drilled a hole all the way through the earth, and then dropped a ball down one end, what do you think the speed versus distance plot would look like?
I am interested in the centre point of the Earth primarily - instinct tells me it would overshoot by quite a bit, but how far?
assume no wind resistance
The purpose of exploring the Earth's center is to gain a better understanding of the planet's composition, structure, and processes. This can help scientists make predictions about natural phenomena and better understand the history of Earth.
A ball drop speed vs distance plot is a graph that shows the relationship between the speed at which a ball falls and the distance it has traveled. This can be used to study the effects of gravity and air resistance on the motion of objects.
The data for a ball drop speed vs distance plot is typically collected by dropping a ball from a known height and recording the time it takes to reach different distances. This data is then used to calculate the ball's speed at each distance, which is plotted on the graph.
A ball drop speed vs distance plot can provide information about the strength of Earth's gravity at different depths. It can also reveal the effects of air resistance and other forces on falling objects, which can give insights into the composition and density of Earth's layers.
While a ball drop speed vs distance plot can provide valuable information, it has limitations. For example, it does not account for variations in gravity due to the Earth's rotation and shape. It also only provides information about a small portion of the Earth's center, as it is not possible to directly measure deeper layers.