Flat Earthers, why do drops of liquids become round in free fall?

[Steve Petersen]

Because gravity is the same on all areas of the falling liquid. In earlier days, this was how shot was made. Liquid lead was poured through a screen at the top of a high tube. The screen broke up the stream of liquid lead into discreet blobs that became perfectly round as they fell. At the bottom of the tank there was a pool of water that cooled the shot.

The earth is round for the same reason: gravity is the same on all sides forming a sphere.

 

[ananda]

If gravity is the same on all areas of the falling liquid, then why would liquid lead fall in one direction (towards the Earth)?

 

[Steve Petersen]

If gravity is the same on all areas of the falling liquid, then why would liquid lead fall in one direction (towards the Earth)?

Because gravity acts on the mass of the lead blob as well as its surfaces. All planetary bodies larger than about 200 km are spherical, not flat.

If they were flat, gravity would only be acting in two dimensions, not three.

 

[ananda]

Because gravity acts on the mass of the lead blob as well as its surfaces. All planetary bodies larger than about 200 km are spherical, not flat.

If they were flat, gravity would only be acting in two dimensions, not three.

You initially wrote that "gravity is the same on all sides forming a sphere", but now, you're seemingly implying that gravity is equally affecting every molecule in the shot when you say "gravity acts on the mass"?

Gravity acting on the mass does not seem to explain why it would turn into a sphere; the whole mass could just fall towards the Earth without becoming spherical.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Actually, I was wrong. Water drops are round because of surface tension. Gravity affects the mass of the drops and pulls them toward earth.

Planets are round because the gravitational forces of the mass pulls the surface into a spherical shape, provided the mass is greater than a certain size.

 

[JackRT]

 

[JackRT]

Actually, I was wrong. Water drops are round because of surface tension. Gravity affects the mass of the drops and pulls them toward earth.

Planets are round because the gravitational forces of the mass pulls the surface into a spherical shape, provided the mass is greater than a certain size.

I had been about to mention surface tension.

 

[Steve Petersen]

We have sent satellites to other planets in our solar system. They are all spherical, not flat. Why would earth be the exception?

 

[Ken Rank]

I took my cell phone and aimed it through an eyepiece in my 13" Dob (nearly 6' tall) and took a picture of the moon. Something caught my eye... the craters along the moon's equator I was able to see all the walls in. Think of digging a small round hole and then standing directly over top of it. You can see all sides because of the angle.

The craters that were toward the north and south poles... I could only see one wall and not the one closest to the equator. This very clearly shows us that the moon is round... we can see it with our own eyes.

I can do this with Mars as well.... so the moon and Mars... round, no doubt, visually simple to verify... but God made the Earth flat?

Not only that... think about this.... if I shared a biblical insight from Scripture with 100 people and told them not to share it yet... most will even if they didn't agree. But there is no way 100 people could be prevented from leaking. Every White House in our lifetimes has had some leak at some point and with only hundreds of people involved. If the earth is really flat... then the MILLIONS of people around the world who have knowledge (all the military, space programs government and public, astronomers both professional and back yard, etc. etc. etc. FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD OVER 50+ YEARS) have all managed to keep this quiet? It's ridiculous.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I had been about to mention surface tension.

Me too. I was all 'tensed' to do so.

 

[ananda]

We have sent satellites to other planets in our solar system. They are all spherical, not flat. Why would earth be the exception?

What justifies the a priori assumption that earth is another planet?

 

[Steve Petersen]

What justifies the a priori assumption that earth is another planet?

 

[SkyWriting]

Because gravity is the same on all areas of the falling liquid. In earlier days, this was how shot was made. Liquid lead was poured through a screen at the top of a high tube. The screen broke up the stream of liquid lead into discreet blobs that became perfectly round as they fell. At the bottom of the tank there was a pool of water that cooled the shot.The earth is round for the same reason: gravity is the same on all sides forming a sphere.

Yikes! Gravity has virtually no effect on water drops or nuggets of lead
other than them both accelerating toward the earth when released.
Both accelerating at the same speed if in a vacuum.

Gravity is hardly noticeable until the mass is in the tons.

 

[ananda]

Not only that... think about this.... if I shared a biblical insight from Scripture with 100 people and told them not to share it yet... most will even if they didn't agree. But there is no way 100 people could be prevented from leaking. Every White House in our lifetimes has had some leak at some point and with only hundreds of people involved. If the earth is really flat... then the MILLIONS of people around the world who have knowledge (all the military, space programs government and public, astronomers both professional and back yard, etc. etc. etc. FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD OVER 50+ YEARS) have all managed to keep this quiet? It's ridiculous.

As I understand it, information is compartmentalized in government, so I wouldn't be surprised if only a few at the top knew the full story.

For starters, there could have been an appeal to their sense of responsibility, being informed that it was not in the world's best interest to know such a thing (e.g. massive social & economic implications, etc.); Or, they could've been informed of a positive personal interest to not reveal such a thing (e.g. monetary incentives), or a negative personal interest (e.g. threats against themselves or their loved ones).

 

[ananda]

It was a serious question.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Yikes! Gravity has virtually no effect on water drops or nuggets of lead
other than them both accelerating toward the earth when released.
Both accelerating at the same speed if in a vacuum.

Gravity is hardly noticeable until the mass is in the tons.

Yeah, I corrected myself. Thanks for reading my thread.

 

[majj27]

We have sent satellites to other planets in our solar system. They are all spherical, not flat. Why would earth be the exception?

Usual answer: NASA made it all up with photoshop and George Lucas/Stanley Kubrick.

 

[SkyWriting]

Usual answer: NASA made it all up with photoshop and George Lucas/Stanley Kubrick.

The Mars landing Too?

 

[SkyWriting]

The earth is round for the same reason: gravity is the same on all sides forming a sphere.

It also bulges in the middle due to spinning.
It also bulges toward the moon due to moon gravity.
It also jiggles when you jump up and down.
The gravity waves from you jumping spread to all of the Cosmos
making it jiggle a bit as well, even the jiggling from you typing
on the keyboard.

 

[Steve Petersen]

It also bulges in the middle due to spinning.
It also bulges toward the moon due to moon gravity.
It also jiggles when you jump up and down.
The gravity waves from you jumping spread to all of the Cosmos
making it jiggle a bit as well, even the jiggling from you typing
on the keyboard.

Point is, it is not flat.