How far would you have to dig to get to China?

About 20,000 kilometers. But what if you didn’t have to travel across the surface? What if you could dig straight through to the other side? If you’re trying to dig to China from the US, there’s something you should know first.

How long would it take to get to the core of the Earth?

The acceleration of gravity is 9.8m/s2 and the radius of the Earth is 6.378 million meters. This means that you would fall through the entire Earth in only 42 minutes! Can you imagine traveling 8 thousand miles in less than an hour? You maximum velocity at the center would be roughly 8km/s (18,000 mph).

Is it possible to drill through the Earth?

First, let us state the obvious: You can’t drill a hole through the center of the Earth. To date, the deepest hole is the Kola Superdeep Borehole. Drilling started in the 1970s and finished some 20 years later when the team reached 40,230 feet (12,262 meters). That is about 7.5 miles, or just over 12 km.

What would happen if you dug a hole through the Earth and jumped in?

If you jumped into the tunnel, you’d fall down towards the center of the Earth, accelerating constantly, thanks to gravity. By the time you reached the halfway point, after falling for 21 minutes, you’d be traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour.

What happens if you dig too deep in the Earth?

To make things more difficult, as they drill deeper into the Earth, they’ll encounter extreme temperatures, possibly in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius), and fantastic amounts of pressure — as much as 4 million pounds per square foot in the vicinity of the mantle.

What would happen if the earth stops spinning?

At the Equator, the earth’s rotational motion is at its fastest, about a thousand miles an hour. If that motion suddenly stopped, the momentum would send things flying eastward. Moving rocks and oceans would trigger earthquakes and tsunamis. The still-moving atmosphere would scour landscapes.

Could you really dig a hole to China?

Could You Really Dig a Hole to China? In theory, yes. In practice, your journey through the planet might be hampered by the planet’s molten core. There’s also the matter of finding a spot for all you’re digging through to make your tunnel.

Where in the world can you dig and come out dry?

There are actually very few places on Earth where you could start digging on land and emerge dry. Greenland to Antarctica might be your best bet, but you could also make a trip from Argentina to China or Spain to New Zealand.

Why is it so hard to dig a tunnel through the Earth?

The Earth isn’t rotating, which made it easier to dig your hole and will keep you from bouncing around in your tunnel and getting all bruised up. 6. There’s no friction, no air resistance, and no mole men. update: some helpful readers have pointed out other conditions that I neglected in the original post… 7.

Can you really dig a tunnel with a homemade digging machine?

You managed to actually dig a tunnel with your fancy homemade digging machine and found a place for all the rubble. You’re now standing there, peering into the hole and ready to jump in, passing Argentinians eyeing you warily. 3. The Earth’s core is not molten, so your digging machine did not melt and neither will you.