If you imagine yourself at the center of the earth your are floating since the pull is the same around you. But let us say you could turn up the gravity as much as you want. Why aren’t you pulled apart? The net forces are zero, sure. But wouldn’t the body experience tension?

Question

If we compare it to a rope pulled by two equal forces in each end. The net forces would be zero and you would have static equilibrium, but the rope would still break if pulled hard enough.

Additionally, wouldn’t a metal ball uniformly surrounded by powerful magnets be pulled apart as well?

I am not sure why I can’t wrap my head around this, when it comes to the center of the earth.

In: 83

Answer 1

I think a common source of confusion is people thing the earth on the left only pulls on your left, and the earth on your right only pulls on your right. It doesn’t work that way.

The earth on the left pulls on both sides of your body, but the left side a little bit moreso. The earth on the right pulls on both sides of your body, but the right side a little bit moreso — it exactly cancels out the “moreso” on your left side, though.

So each part of you is pulled by all around, simultaneously, so the net force is negligible