Posted: Oct 24, 2011 9:45 pm
Scar wrote:What you have to understand is that gravity is a very very weak force. Consider that a body the size of the earth can't really keep you from jumping up with relative ease.
Yes, we can jump - but only a few feet.
We say that gravity is weak yet the effects of it from the sun suffice to cause the planets' orbits. Similarly, the moon & sun cause the tides - the significant movement of a body of weight in a given direction. If that direction is away from the earth, then one would expect that there would be a noticable decrease in the weight of a body per unit of volume.
I've had another thought too, just before you all run off. The tidal flows must produce stress points upon locales of the earth's crust, which has to bear the weight of the water. So, I was wondering whether tidal effects had any geological significance? Would it be insane, for instance, to wonder if tidal effects had any relation to plate tectonics? Or, whether tidal effects were instrumental in triggering earthquakes?
I don't really know much about this stuff. I'm just thinking out loud. Thanks for any input.