Messages in this thread | | | From | "Barry Zubel" <> | Subject | [Majorly Offtopic] Re: IDE freeze for seconds | Date | Thu, 3 Dec 1998 13:29:41 -0000 |
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>On Wed, Dec 02, 1998 at 03:25:24PM -0000, Simon Kenyon wrote: >> On 02-Dec-98 Alex Buell wrote: >> > What is the first thing that ceases when you spin down a planet? That's >> > right, gravity. Everything not tied down would just fly out into space, >> > and that includes the atmosphere. Simple. >> >> i don't see a smiley, but i have to assume that that was a little joke! right? > >well, the problem is that... it's true. so don't use ower management on the >earth spin...
Umm.. Forgive me if my memory is failing, but the spin of the earth does not contribute to the effect of gravity.
Gravity is relational to the mass of the two objects, and the distance between them, and NOTHING to do with angular velocity
( I think its along the lines of ( G*m[1]*m[2]) / d^2 ) where G= Gravitational Constant = 6.67 E-11 m^2kg^-2, m[1, 2] are masses of the object, and d is the distance between them (rewritten in computer mathematics :))
Angular velocity can be used to simulate the effects of gravity (note: 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke, and even Babylon 5!), in these circumstances the centrifugal force simulates the effects of gravity, however this is due to the fact that the pressure is exerted from the inside outwards.
In fact, (and this is where my memory fails me, so I'm speculating) the spin of the earth theoretically counters the effect of gravity, minutely. But because this velocity is not fast (relatively) and the mass of the Earth in comparison to the mass of, say, a person is so immense then this affect can be described as negligible.
Sorry for the offtopic, but I knew my Physics, and Mathematical Mechanics 'A' Levels had a use!
------------------------------ Barry Zubel Technical Manager VK Research
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