Harvell 1

Johnathan Harvell

Chera Thompson

MAT 202-601

06 November 2012

Writing Assignment:

Falling Down a Hole through the Earth

In Andrew J. Simosons article, Falling Down a Hole through the Earth, he elaborates
on the theory of what particular path a pebble would travel as it fell through the Earths surface
at the Equator, neglecting air resistance and assuming a constant linear force of gravity (9.8
m/s2). Within his article, Simoson presents a step by step process in how to calculate the position
of the pebble throughout the motion that the pebble would be performing as it was traveling
within in the Earth, in which he does incorporate the factors of Earths gravitational field,
rotation, and other planetary concepts demonstrated by Keplers Laws. These calculations
include mainly the derivation of differential equations through the use of calculus, algebra, and
trigonometry, but, towards the end of Simosons argument, also include the concepts of polar
coordinates and planes by regarding the degrees of Earths latitude as well as the effect on the
pebbles motion by the Earths North and South Poles. As result of the calculations presented in
this article, Simonson is able to give the reader the ability to definitively determine where the
pebble would land back on the Earths surface in comparison of its initial dropping point based
on the total deflection caused by the pebbles episcopal trajectory.

In the beginning of the article, Simoson poses the main idea of his argument based on
research of the work done by the great astronomer, Galileo, who states that a cannon ball
dropped down a perforation in the Earth will follow a path of simple harmonic motion,
oscillating forever between the drop site and its antipode (Simoson 171). Simoson also refers to
the works of Newton and Hooke as well, in which they state that if the cannon ball fell down a
hole at the Equator it would spiral arounda closed elliptical-like loop with the Earths center at
the center of the loop (Simoson 171). In regarding this information obtained through his own
personal research, Simoson states the fact that these theories suggest that the cannon ball falls
directly from the North and South Pole of the Earth. To evaluate these scientists theories even
further, Simoson demonstrates mathematically what particular path the pebble would travel if it
went through a hole at the Earths Equator instead.

To begin his calculations, Simoson assumes that the Earths density is spherically
symmetric, which allows him to negate the difference in Earths displacement caused by its
rotation due to a change in Earths center of mass. With this, Simoson progresses onward by
preparing polar coordinates of the pebbles velocity in relation to the Equator with Earths
 Harvell 2

center at the origin so that the North Pole is above the plane, as shown below with and

being the radial and angular vectors of the pebbles overall velocity (Simoson 172):

= = +

With the polar coordinates within the equation, Simoson presses onward into the
inclusion of the acceleration of the gravitational field of the Earth into the derivation of the
position function corresponding with the position of the pebble during its total motion. The
equation shown below is the acceleration of the pebble given through the first derivative of the
velocity function, which incorporates the use of the product rule, stated earlier:

2 2 2
= ( 2 + 2 ) +[ 2 ( ) ]

Simoson states that the acceleration of the pebble is equal to the acceleration of Earths
gravitation field due to assuming that the acceleration of the Earths linear gravity is 9.8 m/s2 and
the magnitude is in the direction of the radical velocity of the pebble. With this assumption,
Simoson is then able to take the first derivative of the velocity function that is he derived for the
pebbles motion, and solve for the acceleration of the pebble during its particular motion as well.
The function of the pebbles acceleration in relation to Earths gravitational field (r) derived by
Simoson is shown below:

2 2
() =
2 3
With this equation, by excluding the presence of force of friction and other miscellaneous
forces placed on the pebble during its total motion, Simoson is able to establish a set of initial
conditions, which allows him to solve the constant angular momentum of the Earth (h) in relation
to the pebbles downward linear acceleration (z) through the Earth in two particular forms, as
shown below:

2 2
=

2 1 1
2
+ = 2 2( )

Next, Simoson moves on to his own creation of a linear model of the Earth gravitational
pull on any particular object. With the previous equations derived, Simoson allows the mass of
the pebble to be in proportion to the force of Earths gravitation field, as well as being inversely
proportional to the distance between the pebble and the center of the Earth. These equalities help
 Harvell 3

Simoson derive the following two equal nonlinear model equations of the Earths gravitation pull
on any object within its gravitational field, where k is a positive constant:

2 2
+ =
2 3
2
2
+ = 2 3

Using the techniques of integration on these nonlinear equations, Simoson then calculates
the position function of the pebble in relation of the Earths radius, r(t), and the position function
of the pebble in correlation of the angle of the Earths axis, r ():

2
() = 2 2 () + 2 ()
2

1
() =
2
12 2 () + 2 2 ()

Simoson continues by then incorporating the pebbles velocity at any given point during
its travel through the center of the Earth. After incorporating the polar coordinates of the
pebbles position, Simoson then progresses to make the assumption that the pebbles tangential
velocity, at the instant that the pebble is dropped from its original height, is allowing the height
between the pebble and the center of the Earth to decrease, which the decreasing progression
leads to invention of this coefficient:

With this these two assumptions of the pebbles position and velocity in the above
equations and coefficient, Simoson has now allowed himself to create a series of integrals to
perform the process of parameterization of the previous equations derived. The two equations
that are parameterized are the above equations of the pebbles position in relation to both angle
and radius of the Earth, which are shown below:

((), ()) = ((), ())

2
2
= 2 =
2
 Harvell 4

Next, with these parameterized equations, Simoson proceeds to calculate the period of the
elliptical path that the pebble follows within its motion, which is seen in the angle lapse
between perigee and apogee (Simoson, 177):

2
=

While evaluating Keplers Laws within his now derived parameterized equations,
Simoson notes that it is possible that, even though the elliptical path made by the pebbles
motion appears to symmetrical in correspondence with the North Pole of Earths gravitational
field, the pebble is dropped from the Earths surface somewhere other than at the Equator the
solution is generated as before, except for the constant of angular momentum (Simoson, 177).
With this in mind, Simoson incorporates the position of the North Pole in relation to the pebble
position and the center of the Earth into the derived parameterized equations, giving the ability of
position of the pebble to be deciphered into three-dimensional coordinates:

(((, )), ((, )), ((, ))) = (( ), (), ())

The aspects of the pebbles motion (position, velocity, acceleration) are now covered.
The next thing to determine is the construct of the gaping hole within the Earths core that allows
the pebble to perform the motion determined by the previous derived equations. Simoson
answers this question by incorporating the proportional relationship between the angle at which
the pebble falls at in relation to the Earth, and the time of the pebbles travel. This translation is
then put into a related coordinate system of the pebbles position, where the variable Q equals
the distance of the Equator of the Earth:

2 2
() ( (() ) , (() ))

This coordinate system then allows Simoson to evaluate the change in the angle of the
hole during the time frame of the pebbles movement through the Earth by the use of derivatives,
integrals, and inequality relations:

() = 1 ( ()) , 0 < <
2 2

To stretch this equation even further through the observation of the graph and
incorporation of the trigonometric identities, Simoson proceeds to simplifying this equation to
allow easier calculations further within his report:
 Harvell 5

( 2 1) ()()

() = + 1 ( ), 0

1 + ( 2 1) 2 ()

In this equation being stated as such, it is made possible for Simoson to calculate when
the pebble will return to its initial drop height in respect of a non-rotating Earth, which turns out
to be 84.6 minutes; however, that is not the final destination within Simosons calculations,
because the final position of the pebble in correlation with center of the Earth still needed to be
determined. To do this, Simoson had to include the reality that the Earth is rotating during the
time frame of the pebbles movement throughout the Earth. Therefore, using the data from
previous experiments of Galileo at the Tower of Pisa and the related coordinate system of the
pebbles position stated previously, Simoson provides the relations he needs to derived the
equation of the position of a point on the Earths equator in relation to Earths rotational motion:

2 2
() = (1 ( ()) ) 2 2 () + 2 2 ()
2

This equation thus provides the eastward deflection (E) of the pebbles final position
(once again, assuming no air resistance being applied on the pebble), which is translated in the
coordinate system below in relation to the degree of latitude of the Earth of the pebbles initial
dropping point:

(, ) = ()

Finally, in knowing the coordinate relationship between the pebbles position and the
latitude of the Earth as incorporated in the equation above, the southward deflection (S) of the
pebbles trajectory could be calculate by Simoson as well:

(, ) = ((, ) ( )) (, )
2

In the conclusion of Simosons research, he found that Galileo was indeed significantly
close to determining that the Earth did in fact rotate, despite the allegations given to him due to
the experiments preformed later in history by Issac Newton, Hooke, and F. Reich.

As I finished the article, I was astounded by the amount of thought and effort put into
solving this particular concept of the pathway a pebble would travel through the Earths surface.
Although I could not always follow the mathematics behind this concept, especially when
Simoson started to incorporate polar coordinates and parametric equations, I found that having a
physics background could allow me to understand better at where Simoson was going in his
calculations. It does indeed amaze me how mathematics can definitively determine the physical
 Harvell 6

aspects of our World, and I hope to be able to perform the same type of calculations that
Simoson performed in his article some day in the near future.

Work Cited

Simoson, Andrew J. Falling down a Hole through the Earth. Mathematics Magazine, June
2004: 171-189. Print.