Earth and Ladders: Exploring Through the Earth's Center

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In summary, the gravitational field always points towards the center of the Earth, and the effective acceleration due to gravity varies linearly from 0 at the center to the usual value of g at the Earth's surface. This means that if you were to put a ladder through the Earth and go down it with your head pointing towards the surface and feet towards the centroid, passing through the centroid and heading towards the other surface, you would come out with your head pointing towards the surface and feet towards the centroid. This is because the gravitational pull at the center is zero and gradually increases as you move towards the surface.
  • #1
Pyrrhus
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If you put a ladder throught the Earth going throught its center, and if you go down it with your head pointing to the Earth's surface and feet to the centroid, passing throught Earth's centroid and heading to the other surface, you will go out with your head pointing to the surface and feet to the Earth's centroid. Why?
 
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  • #2
Because unless you are comfortable climbing a ladder upside down (with respect to the gravitation field) you will be motivated to turn around. :wink:
 
  • #3
Lets discuss what is hapenning at the centroid. Coz that is where the question really matters? Please dor eply.
 
  • #4
The gravitational field at any radius always points towards the center of the earth. The effective acceleration due to gravity varies (linearly) from 0 at the center to the usual value of g at the Earth's surface.
 
  • #5
Well, it say "heading to the surface" so obviously you turn your head to the surface when you pass the center of the earth!
 
  • #6
:rofl: I think you've cracked this riddle!
 
  • #7
hahahah, Thanks for the replies. I was just wondering if it was something special or whatever.
 
  • #8
wouldn't the gravitational pull increase as you neared the center of the earth? according to the law of universal gravitation, wouldn't r approach 0 and thus when you are at the center the gravitational force would be infinite?
 
  • #9
cotton said:
wouldn't the gravitational pull increase as you neared the center of the earth? according to the law of universal gravitation, wouldn't r approach 0 and thus when you are at the center the gravitational force would be infinite?
No. The gravitational field at the center is zero.

The gravitational pull at a distance r from the Earth's center is only due to the mass contained within the sphere of radius r. (The outer shell contribution cancels.) While the the gravitational pull does increase according to M/r^2, M is proportional to r^3: the net effect is that the effective field strength is proportional to r. It's zero at the center (where r = 0) and the usual g at the surface.
 

1. What is the concept behind "Earth and Ladders: Exploring Through the Earth's Center"?

The concept behind "Earth and Ladders: Exploring Through the Earth's Center" is to explore the Earth's layers through a game of ladders and learn about the different layers of the Earth in a fun and interactive way.

2. How does the game work?

The game involves rolling a dice and moving your game piece up or down the ladders depending on the number you roll. Each ladder represents a different layer of the Earth and landing on a ladder will prompt you to answer a question about that layer.

3. What will I learn about the Earth by playing this game?

By playing "Earth and Ladders: Exploring Through the Earth's Center", you will learn about the four main layers of the Earth - the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core - as well as their composition, temperature, and other interesting facts about each layer.

4. Is this game suitable for all ages?

Yes, this game is suitable for all ages. It is designed to be a fun and educational tool for anyone interested in learning more about the Earth's layers.

5. Are there any other resources or materials needed to play this game?

No, all you need to play "Earth and Ladders: Exploring Through the Earth's Center" is the game board, a dice, and game pieces for each player. The game board can be easily printed from online sources and the other materials can be found at home or purchased at a low cost.

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