Acceleration due to gravity below earth

In summary, the acceleration due to gravity increases and then decreases as you approach the core of the Earth. Theoretically, the acceleration due to gravity at the center of the Earth or the inner core is zero, but you may not feel completely weightless due to the tremendous pressure. When considering the Earth as a set of concentric shells, the gravity you feel decreases as you go deeper into the Earth, but this is only a first order approximation due to deviations such as variations in density and thickness of the crust. A similar discussion can be found on the Physics Forums thread linked above.
  • #1
holtvg
18
0
How does the acceleration due to gravity change as you go underneath the earth, someone told me that it increases then decreases as you approach the core, so theoretically the acceleration due to gravity at the center of the Earth or the inner core is zero? So would you be weightless at the inner core?
 
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  • #2
I'm not exactly sure if you'd feel weightless...you'll be feeling quite an amount of pressure.
 
  • #3
If you solve the integral for the gravitational attraction from a homogeneous spherical shell, it is the same as a point source from the outside, but the gravitational attraction anywhere inside the sphere is zero.

So if you regard the Earth as a set of concentric shells, a good first order approximation, the gravity you feel goes down in say, a gold mine, proportional to the amount of the Earth's crust that you are under. In reality there are deviations from this model. Oceans are less dense than land, and have thinner crust underneath, while the crust under mountains is thicker and so on.
 

FAQ: Acceleration due to gravity below earth

What is the acceleration due to gravity below Earth?

The acceleration due to gravity below Earth is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared. This is a constant value that represents the rate at which objects accelerate towards the center of the Earth.

Is the acceleration due to gravity below Earth the same as on the surface?

No, the acceleration due to gravity below Earth is not the same as on the surface. As you move further away from the Earth's surface, the pull of gravity decreases. This means that the acceleration due to gravity below Earth will be slightly less than 9.8 meters per second squared.

How does the depth below Earth's surface affect the acceleration due to gravity?

The depth below Earth's surface does not have a significant effect on the acceleration due to gravity. As long as an object is within the Earth's gravitational pull, it will experience the same acceleration due to gravity regardless of its depth.

Can the acceleration due to gravity below Earth be negative?

Yes, the acceleration due to gravity below Earth can be negative. This would occur if an object is moving away from the Earth's center, such as in an orbit around the Earth. In this case, the acceleration due to gravity would be pulling the object away from the Earth's center, resulting in a negative value.

Does the acceleration due to gravity below Earth change with the mass of the object?

No, the acceleration due to gravity below Earth does not change with the mass of the object. This is because the acceleration due to gravity is a constant value and is not affected by the mass of the object. However, the force of gravity on an object will be greater if the object has a larger mass, as stated by Newton's second law of motion.

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