Question

If you could drill a hole through the Earth and drop an object into the hole, how would Earth's gravity affect the object and why?(1 point) Responses The object would fall down from one side of the hole to the edge of the other side, and then fall back down to the start. This pattern would continue forever. The object would fall down from one side of the hole to the edge of the other side, and then fall back down to the start. This pattern would continue forever. The object will not fall into the hole because the object would be falling "up" to a viewer on the other side. The object will not fall into the hole because the object would be falling "up" to a viewer on the other side. The object would become stationary at the center of the Earth. The object would become stationary at the center of the Earth. The object would fall out the other side.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: The object would fall down from one side of the hole to the edge of the other side, and then fall back down to the start. This pattern would continue forever.

As the object falls toward the center of the Earth, the gravitational force acting on it decreases because the gravitational force inside a spherical shell of uniform density is zero. When the object reaches the center, it would have its maximum speed, and then it would continue moving toward the opposite side due to inertia, eventually reaching the edge of the hole on the opposite side. However, as it approaches the other side, gravity would pull it back toward the center again, creating a continuous oscillation back and forth through the hole. If we ignore air resistance and other frictional forces, this oscillation would theoretically continue indefinitely.