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To: Right Wing Assault

It has to do with the curvature of the earth. That's why they land at the same time (theoretically).


168 posted on 11/23/2005 8:23:24 PM PST by phantomworker (A new day! Begin it serenely; with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense!)
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To: phantomworker
It has to do with the curvature of the earth. That's why they land at the same time (theoretically).

You can put a coin on the edge of a table and slide another coin into it so they both fall off. If you hit it just right, one will go out a few feet, the other will fall nearly straight down. They will hit at the same time. Over that short range, the curvature of the earth is not important. Over a large distance, the fact that the gravitational field lines are radial is important.

However, if you could make a gravitational field whose lines of force were parallel, this problem would still work. It also works with charged particles in a parallel electric field made by flat parallel charged plates.

176 posted on 11/23/2005 8:35:53 PM PST by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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