Gravity is different in every part of the earth

[evident]

read this article on BBC this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12911806

pretty interesting project they have there. They didnt explain how much of a difference in gravity there is though. My physics background is limited to two basic college courses so its pretty limited. Hopefully funding for science projects like this don't get cut in the future either since it could be really useful down the line

 

[MoMeanMugs]

You weigh more the closer you move to the equator. I thought most people knew that.

 

[ShawnD1]

You weigh more the closer you move to the equator. I thought most people knew that.

You also weigh more at lower elevations. R squared, brah

 

[TecHNooB]

that first pic needs a scale

 

[kami333]

I think it varies about 0.5%

I remember first learning about this in The Hunt for Red October (the book), where the Russian subs use gravimeters to navigate through a trench.

 

[Linflas]

They even have gravity maps, a friend of mine in college had one of Pennsylvania on his dorm wall.

 

[IronWing]

Do a google image search on "bouguer gravity anomaly" and "free air gravity anomaly" and find a map of gravity for your fair town.

In one of my geophysics classes one student project was to determine if gravity anomalies would have a measurable impact on ski jumping results for events held in different parts of the world. The answer was "yes", gravity could explain up to a centimeter or so of additional/less distance in ski jumping.

Also, gravimeters can detect differences in gravity within a room based on whether you set them on a table or on the floor.

 

[gorcorps]

Gravity is a function of the mass of the 2 bodies and the distance between their centers of mass, correct? It's something like that, either way most entry level college physics students would know this. Not exactly breaking news. It IS kind of cool that you can find an approximate map of the gravity changes, but the fact that this happens hasn't been a mystery.

 

[Macamus Prime]

My GOD,... the terrorists have already won,...

 

[IronWing]

My GOD,... the terrorists have already won,...

We can not overstate the of the situation.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Hey guys, did you know that earth isn't a perfect sphere where everything is evenly distributed?

 

[evident]

bah, reading the original post i sound like a dumbass. i just thought the satellite they launched was pretty neat. i'll go hide in the corner from all you physics experts now

 

[Jeff7]

That's a nifty looking spacecraft right there.

 

[rh71]

You also weigh more at lower elevations. R squared, brah

man how low is America?

 

[Alone]

bah, reading the original post i sound like a dumbass. i just thought the satellite they launched was pretty neat. i'll go hide in the corner from all you physics experts now

Don't worry, it was news to me.

 

[ShawnD1]

My GOD,... the terrorists have already won,...

I wonder if terrorists are responsible for that lack of gravity in the indian ocean.

 

[darkewaffle]

I learned this on Bill Nye as a kid! Bill Nye weighed something like 1lb less at the bottom of Death Valley vs the top of some mountain.

 

[KaOTiK]

I'm starting a new diet program. Move to the mountainous regions in the north or south and lose weight! Buy my how to guide for 4 easy payments of $39.99, but wait, if you act now I'll cut one of the payments and you will only need to pay 3 easy payments for $39.99.

If you are one of the first one hundred callers I'll even reduce the price of the 3 easy payments to $29.99 each. Act now, operators are standing by!

 

[JTsyo]

I learned this on Bill Nye as a kid! Bill Nye weighed something like 1lb less at the bottom of Death Valley vs the top of some mountain.

You weigh more the closer you move to the equator. I thought most people knew that.

think both are flipped. Should weigh more in a valley. Isn't the earth bulged at the equator so you should weigh less.

 

[Leros]

think both are flipped. Should weigh more in a valley. Isn't the earth bulged at the equator so you should weigh less.

That is correct.

 

[Malak]

read this article on BBC this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12911806

pretty interesting project they have there. They didnt explain how much of a difference in gravity there is though. My physics background is limited to two basic college courses so its pretty limited. Hopefully funding for science projects like this don't get cut in the future either since it could be really useful down the line

In what way can this be really useful? We already have lots of projects that are already proven useful that don't get enough funding.

 

[DrPizza]

I think there's an XKCD comic where he points out that the difference in gravitation means that in the Olympics, city A vs. city B, pole vaulters should be able to jump about a half centimeter higher.

 

[speg]

g*m1*m2/r^2

 

[nublikescake]

It's strongest in the area of Philippines, Vietnam etc...those asian countries. I guess that's why Asians are short.

 

[Bacstar]

It's strongest in the area of Philippines, Vietnam etc...those asian countries. I guess that's why Asians are short.

Hmmmm...I thought we evolved from smaller monkeys.