this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2024
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261
ur dada so buff he falls significantly faster than g (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
127 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Tap for spoilerThe bowling ball isn’t falling to the earth faster. The higher perceived acceleration is due to the earth falling toward the bowling ball.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It does change the vector though. There's no (well barely any) friction in space. In fact pushing the fridge with one finger rather than pushing the fridge will move and rotate the earth at incomprehensibly small velocity for a short time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It does change the vector, yes, but to such a small amount that it does not become pointed at a ball.

You can substitute static friction with a gravitational pull of the sun, and the result is going to be the same as in fridge example

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Static friction causes that result because it matches the force it's resisting. Gravity doesn't do that, so while the total vector will still be pointing away from the ball, it will point away from it with a slightly smaller magnitude.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Yes. Therefore Earth would not "fall towards the ball" and therefore it isn't falling faster