In a debate with someone who thinks the earth could be flat, not smart enough to despute a point they are making plz help.
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Imagine the plane at Point A, gravity is straight down perpendicular to its path.
Plane travels to Point B, 60 nautical miles further on. While gravity still points perpendicularly straight down, measurement will show that it’s 1° different from the previous gravity, converging on the centre of the planet.
Of course, it’s a continuous change as you fly, it doesn’t just jump every degree.
If you do this with two weights on strings (say) a metre apart, a rigorous scientific measurement will also show the convergence, and the amount is exactly as predicted by a spherical Earth. These experiments have of course been done many times.
In other words, “down” is always towards the centre of the planet. You standing next to your flat earther friend and you’re always leaning away from each other.
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