[extropy-chat] Juicy Classical Physics ProblemInvolvingGravitational Potential

[spike]

Lee this is a terrific puzzle thanks.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-
> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Lee Corbin
...
> 
> So that wrecks it for me; I wouldn't have thought of the
> variable density factor. It says elsewhere on that page
> that someone heard in high school that it's maybe a
> thousand miles beneath the pole.
> 
> Lee


We had a discussion on this several years ago.  Damien and I worked some
calculations, and I think Eugen, Robert and some others chipped in, wherein
I estimated the variable density factor.  I kept getting wrong answers until
I actually looked it up and found that the density gradient was much larger
than I had assumed.  Given sufficient pressure, one really can compress
molten iron.  I wouldn't have thought that either.

Perhaps you recall that fifth force misadventure the physicists spoke of
back in the 80s.  As I recall the anomalous readings were eventually traced
to inaccuracies in modeling the density gradient of the earth.

Duty calls, more later.

spike