Quote from wheel4hummer :

Gravity is not the reason it will touch the earth. You could pull a string taught around the space station, it still would not float.

You said the key word, TAUGHT, I said if the string WASN'T tight, the gravity of the earth forces the string to make contact with the earths surface at all times.

It's not possible to pull a string around an object without the string being taught if there's only two points at which it's being pulled from. It really doesn't have anything to do with gravity.

Quote from wheel4hummer :

It's not possible to pull a string around an object without the string being taught if there's only two points at which it's being pulled from. It really doesn't have anything to do with gravity.

wtf are you talking about, it i throw a piece of string in the air, it then touches the earth. It IS possible to pull a string around an object without it being taught, you could cut a piece of string that is twice as longer than the circumference of the earth and you could run the whole circumference with your string in hand and the other end tied down, you would make a complete lap of the earth but the string still wouldn't be taught

You people seem to think the earth is a floating ball, when in fact it's a ball that sucks objects as close as it can, to it's surface.

I say we should send this to the flat earth society and get their specialists to answer the question.

Quote from BlueFlame :

It IS possible to pull a string around an object without it being taught

Not if it's only being pulled from two points. Go get some string and a ball. Then try telling me that you can pull the string around the object without it being taught.

Funny thread. Assuming the earth is perfectly spherical, and you have a straight path at sea level all the way around and set out walking with the end of a piece of string, and you keep that string perfectly tight so that it is a dead straight line, then depending on how high you are holding it and how high the spool is (both the same height let's say), it won't be long before that straight line touches the ground halfway along it. The only way to keep it off the ground is to raise one end away from the earth as you walk with it.

If you can't see all the way round the earth, it's not likely that a piece of string pulled tight will be able to circle the earth without touching it. Not that you could ever pull it tight without it touching it even if it could be magically suspended in zero gravity whilst slack.

Quote from sinbad :

If you can't see all the way round the earth, it's not likely that a piece of string pulled tight will be able to circle the earth without touching it. Not that you could ever pull it tight without it touching it even if it could be magically suspended in zero gravity whilst slack.

Yup. The only way it would be possible is if the earth repelled the string.

Quote from sinbad :

Funny thread. Assuming the earth is perfectly spherical, and you have a straight path at sea level all the way around and set out walking with the end of a piece of string, and you keep that string perfectly tight so that it is a dead straight line, then depending on how high you are holding it and how high the spool is (both the same height let's say), it won't be long before that straight line touches the ground halfway along it. The only way to keep it off the ground is to raise one end away from the earth as you walk with it.

If you can't see all the way round the earth, it's not likely that a piece of string pulled tight will be able to circle the earth without touching it. Not that you could ever pull it tight without it touching it even if it could be magically suspended in zero gravity whilst slack.

I see your point. However...

The original question is kind of simple. It's just that people make it way too complicated by bringing in questions like "what is holding both ends of the string, what/who's pulling?".

It doesn't matter who's pulling... what if chuck norris is holding one end of the string?

The example states that the planet surface is perfectly smooth (ok, it has to be solid aswell), and that the string is pulled tight around. So the question isn't what force is needed to pull it tight, because if it was, even if you could bring up the force to pull it tight, it would simply be ripped apart.

You have to think of a string that will stand the force needed to pull it tight all the way around the earth, and something pulling at both ends with enough force to do so. It's really simple, and gravity has nothing to do with it.

This thread doesn't surprise me by the way. 99% of the population are probably... ummm... what's a politically correct word for "idiots"?

:munching_

It offcourse WILL touch the ground, if you think different you are just a plain idiot.

Quote from G!NhO :

It offcourse WILL touch the ground, if you think different you are just a plain idiot.

thats a nice thing to say about people that have another point of view than yourself.

But I gotta say I agree.
I mean, if you pull the string each way, string will automaticly seek for places where there's "spare string". And If it were floating in the air, it would seek the ground, due to the amount of string getting pulled each way.

Sorry if thats jibberish to you, but makes perfect sense in my drugged up brain, ya! :P

Quote from jibber :

I see your point. However...

The original question is kind of simple. It's just that people make it way too complicated by bringing in questions like "what is holding both ends of the string, what/who's pulling?".

It doesn't matter who's pulling... what if chuck norris is holding one end of the string?

The example states that the planet surface is perfectly smooth (ok, it has to be solid aswell), and that the string is pulled tight around. So the question isn't what force is needed to pull it tight, because if it was, even if you could bring up the force to pull it tight, it would simply be ripped apart.

You have to think of a string that will stand the force needed to pull it tight all the way around the earth, and something pulling at both ends with enough force to do so. It's really simple, and gravity has nothing to do with it.

This thread doesn't surprise me by the way. 99% of the population are probably... ummm... what's a politically correct word for "idiots"?

:munching_

Ohhh, a string that won't break!! I hadn't imagined such a thing could exist in this hypothetical world.

I'm not entirely sure which part of my post you are disagreeing with.

I was simply stating the obvious and thought I illustrated it in a way a child could understand- that a piece of string held tight so as not to sag and touch the earth, although we assume zero grav too if it's easier, will just be a straight line and leave the earth's surface at a tangent if you continue to extend it, like if you place a steel ruler atop a football.

Why you're introducing the breaking point of the string/rope/wire/cord I have no idea.

PS: I initally thought this was going to be some charity type world-wide event in aid of world peace or to fight famine or something, perhaps Michael Jackson would have released a single, maybe he already had recorded it. I can almost hear the lyrics now.
I am a tad disappointed.

Quote from wheel4hummer :

Not if it's only being pulled from two points. Go get some string and a ball. Then try telling me that you can pull the string around the object without it being taught.

Wind the string around the ball, it's then not taught. If you are pulling from two ends, then it definately will get taught.

Quote from wheel4hummer :

Not if it's only being pulled from two points. Go get some string and a ball. Then try telling me that you can pull the string around the object without it being taught.

I understand why he was saying what he's saying though; he's looking at the question the way I intially did. You have to think a bit abstract to understand the question because it's so far removed from common sense that it's easy to misinterpret imo.

edit: 15% of the board member who've answered have said RED...... ........... .........

Now I think it's the red one It's a but confusing because noone has never seen this happening. But here is a demonstration of my opinion.

Here is a natural situation being happened on Earth. If you pull the string, it will tighten. The gravity is always directioned downwards, into the centre of the Earth.

When you would "zoom out" until you'll see entire globe and longhten the string around the Earth, the force would still be directioned downwards, to the centre of the Earth. Here is the red one animated (the bottom part should be floating too). Everywhere you "zoomed in" on the string (like in the first natural pic), the forces would be two oriented to the left and right (pulling), and one downwards (to the globe centre).

And here is the blue one. First, I imagined it as a ball (as some other people did). If you pulled the string, nothing would happen because of the gravity oriented downwards and because of friction of the ball/string. This is a solution which can be realised on Earth, but actually, the object is the Earth itself, so you shouldn't compare it to a ball or something placed on Earth and being pulled down by the gravity.

Just my opinion, nothing else.

Quote from Flame CZE :

snip

I think it is the red string still because when you pull it tight from both ends it would be spinning at the same speed of the earth. This creates a negative centripetal force which pushes the string outwards and creates an opposing force to gravity. Like when you go around a roundabout in your car. Just my theory anyway

Quote from DaveWS :

Why is this even a debate? It's completely and utterly retarded that some people might even consider anything other than the blue string.

It could be red, if the Earth was rotating fast (like, 1000 rpm, roughly). Then the thread would be pulled outward by centrifugal forces. But the person holding the thread would also be pulled outward, so you'd have to nail his feet to the floor. Hum.

However, Earth's rotation being boringly slow, the blue thread will be the correct answer.

Quote from jibber :

I say we should send this to the flat earth society and get their specialists to answer the question.

do it
id really like to see them weasle their way out of this one (its not all that hard to test really considering the horizon at human height is less than 5km you only need 10km of (weightless) string

Quote from wsinda :

However, Earth's rotation being boringly slow, the blue thread will be the correct answer.

boringly slow? at the equator youre doing a little more than 1000km/h )might be more than 1250kmh dont remember exactly and i cant be arsed to look it up so well just assume it is)

so if we imagine the atmosphere would suddenly stop rotating along with the ground you would be able to hear a very loud bang comming from anything and everything around you

Quote from G!NhO :

It offcourse WILL touch the ground, if you think different you are just a plain idiot.

Yeah, way to go, jump on the bandwagon! You look so coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool to me, I look up to you and your insane levels of intelligence. It's a shame I'm a plain idiot. BOOOOO SUCKKSKS

Edit: Yes, I know my sarcastic come-backs to all the arrogant people here are wearing thin but, frankly, so is this entire community. I'll leave this thread alone now as it no longer interests me.

The world is FLAT fool

Quote from Flame CZE :

Now I think it's the red one It's a but confusing because noone has never seen this happening. But here is a demonstration of my opinion.

Here is a natural situation being happened on Earth. If you pull the string, it will tighten. The gravity is always directioned downwards, into the centre of the Earth.

When you would "zoom out" until you'll see entire globe and longhten the string around the Earth, the force would still be directioned downwards, to the centre of the Earth. Here is the red one animated (the bottom part should be floating too). Everywhere you "zoomed in" on the string (like in the first natural pic), the forces would be two oriented to the left and right (pulling), and one downwards (to the globe centre).

And here is the blue one. First, I imagined it as a ball (as some other people did). If you pulled the string, nothing would happen because of the gravity oriented downwards and because of friction of the ball/string. This is a solution which can be realised on Earth, but actually, the object is the Earth itself, so you shouldn't compare it to a ball or something placed on Earth and being pulled down by the gravity.

Just my opinion, nothing else.

It doesn't make sense what you draw.

A string pulled from both ends will always try to go straight, gravity or not, it will trace the shortest distance between both points, instead of forming a larger radius.

Quote from wsinda :

It could be red, if the Earth was rotating fast (like, 1000 rpm, roughly). Then the thread would be pulled outward by centrifugal forces. But the person holding the thread would also be pulled outward, so you'd have to nail his feet to the floor. Hum.

What you are discribing is basically a low gravity situation, sort of like the ring around saturn where the gravity and centrifugal force reach a constant balance.

Quote from JJ72 :

It doesn't make sense what you draw.

A string pulled from both ends will always try to go straight, gravity or not, it will trace the shortest distance between both points, instead of forming a larger radius.

Ah yes, I see, maybe you are right... I think I should stop thinking about it, my brain is getting warm

Quote from jibber :

ummm... what's a politically correct word for "idiots"?

General population?

Scociety?

Either works...

Quote from Jakg :

If you pull a string taught it will automatically go into the shortest possible length.

That is why, if you pull it between two people, it is a dead straight line.

If you wrap it round an object (ignoring gravity for a second), then it will take the shortest path - that will be touching the object.

Imagine it on a smaller scale with a football - would you expect string to float?

This thread concerns me greatly.

We think alike. My friends wont grasp the concept that to pull the string tight, it would need a point of contact for it to be pulled tight against. But they just say "No you dont you can just pull it tight anyway"

Quote from Flame CZE :

Now I think it's the red one It's a but confusing because noone has never seen this happening. But here is a demonstration of my opinion.

Here is a natural situation being happened on Earth. If you pull the string, it will tighten. The gravity is always directioned downwards, into the centre of the Earth.

When you would "zoom out" until you'll see entire globe and longhten the string around the Earth, the force would still be directioned downwards, to the centre of the Earth. Here is the red one animated (the bottom part should be floating too). Everywhere you "zoomed in" on the string (like in the first natural pic), the forces would be two oriented to the left and right (pulling), and one downwards (to the globe centre).

And here is the blue one. First, I imagined it as a ball (as some other people did). If you pulled the string, nothing would happen because of the gravity oriented downwards and because of friction of the ball/string. This is a solution which can be realised on Earth, but actually, the object is the Earth itself, so you shouldn't compare it to a ball or something placed on Earth and being pulled down by the gravity.

Just my opinion, nothing else.

I underlined the key word in bold italic underlined red. Sure you can pull a string like that when the points you are pulling apart are prefectly across from each other - but when you introduce a loop in the string, to pull the string tight - you NEED to decrease the size of the loop. Hence why the string tightens and wraps around the earth.