cost aside can I dig a big hole under my house?

C_Mababejive

Another thing to consider..if you were to dig such a tunnel then when you are close to break through a couple of things could happen

a) as illustrated by the helpful antipodean atlas, you might suddenly get very wet

b) There would be a huge change in pressure as two weather systems on opposite parts of the earth suddenly collided.

mandragora_2

This is the man to ask:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/simon-mayo/contact/homework-sucks/

princeofpounds

Firstly, the hole doesn't need to pass through the centre to be effective

Although go too much off-centre (and I have to say I don't know how far that is) and the centre of gravity will be to one side and pull you across.


One hell of a carpet burn as you slide along the side of the tunnel...

antrobus

princeofpounds wrote: »

Although go too much off-centre (and I have to say I don't know how far that is) and the centre of gravity will be to one side and pull you across.

One hell of a carpet burn as you slide along the side of the tunnel...

Gravity comes from mass. It's where you are in relation to the mass that matters.

Or something like that.

racing_blue

antrobus wrote: »

You don't have to go in a straight line, you know. You can always factor in a curve so you end up somewhere safe just outside Christchurch.

That would be quite curve, to end up near Bournemouth.

cells

TheBlueHorse wrote: »

if theoretically you could dig a hole that went from Spain, through the centre of the earth and came out in Australia - and then jumped down it - would you fly out of the earth in Australia feet first into the air or would you just come to a stop right in the middle - like a bungee?

it wouldn't work you would hit the side as the earth is spinning

maybe if you did it from the north pole to the south it might work better

and assuming no air friction you would perform simple harmonic motion going back and forth taking you only ~40 mins to go from one side to the other

Mistermeaner

Even if you hit the side, injuries aside you'd keep going albeit slightly slowed by friction

I just love that this old thread has been dug up (pun intended)

martinsurrey

cells wrote: »

it wouldn't work you would hit the side as the earth is spinning

maybe if you did it from the north pole to the south it might work better

and assuming no air friction you would perform simple harmonic motion going back and forth taking you only ~40 mins to go from one side to the other

Funny thing is that if you dig a straight friction-less tunnel (think of a train line with no friction) from anywhere on the surface of earth to the surface anywhere else and amazingly the journey time is the same 38-42 mins (depending on how you calculate) regardless of the start and end point.

the shorter tunnel seems less steep from the trains perspective, so you accelerate slower, which exactly offsets the shorter journey.

It would make train timetables easier... From anywhere to anywhere 42 mins.

if it wasn't for pesky physics getting in the way...

Mistermeaner

Corbyn doesn't have to obey the laws of physics

martinsurrey

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Corbyn doesn't have to obey the laws of physics

but the trains would take twice as long as the union drivers would need a compulsory break at the bottom of tracks gravity well for "safety", even though the trains are all automated.