- #1
Pshock92
- 7
- 0
Imagine a strange event:
I've asked this question so many times, but have never received a clear cut answer:
Let's say that you had a pole, one that you were holding up vertically, that had the length of the circumference of the Earth (24,901.55 miles). Let's just pretend that, although the pole is extremely long, the pole does not wobble like long, skinny poles do. Let's also pretend that we have a stretch of land with no elevation changes and no oceans, sands, or anything. It's just a long grassland that goes all the way around.
Now, say we take our pole and we gently place it on the ground. What would happen?
I've narrowed it down to three possibilities:
1. The pole goes all the way around the Earth, and the two ends of the pole would meet - I've had a few people say this is what most likely will happen, and it's what I expected when I thought this up. I've also been told that it depends on the material of the pole.
2. Considering that the Earth is round, the straight pole would not go around the Earth, and would sort of just sit, jutting out into space - This is the common sense answer that people give me. I imagine this to be impossible: If the pole were to jutt out into space, then at one point that pole would have to get off the ground and elevate, for no particular reason. Would gravity allow that?
3. The pole would snap - This is what could happen if the pole was made of a material that would not allow it to go around the Earth. But, then again, it'd be strange to see the pole snap for no reason other than to be set on the ground.
My guess, as I've said before, is possibility one. Although the Earth is round, the landscape of it is flat (i.e. the ground we stand on is not round), so, the pole would have just flat land to rest on.
What do you think? I'd love new ideas to be brought foward!
I've asked this question so many times, but have never received a clear cut answer:
Let's say that you had a pole, one that you were holding up vertically, that had the length of the circumference of the Earth (24,901.55 miles). Let's just pretend that, although the pole is extremely long, the pole does not wobble like long, skinny poles do. Let's also pretend that we have a stretch of land with no elevation changes and no oceans, sands, or anything. It's just a long grassland that goes all the way around.
Now, say we take our pole and we gently place it on the ground. What would happen?
I've narrowed it down to three possibilities:
1. The pole goes all the way around the Earth, and the two ends of the pole would meet - I've had a few people say this is what most likely will happen, and it's what I expected when I thought this up. I've also been told that it depends on the material of the pole.
2. Considering that the Earth is round, the straight pole would not go around the Earth, and would sort of just sit, jutting out into space - This is the common sense answer that people give me. I imagine this to be impossible: If the pole were to jutt out into space, then at one point that pole would have to get off the ground and elevate, for no particular reason. Would gravity allow that?
3. The pole would snap - This is what could happen if the pole was made of a material that would not allow it to go around the Earth. But, then again, it'd be strange to see the pole snap for no reason other than to be set on the ground.
My guess, as I've said before, is possibility one. Although the Earth is round, the landscape of it is flat (i.e. the ground we stand on is not round), so, the pole would have just flat land to rest on.
What do you think? I'd love new ideas to be brought foward!