Am I correct in thinking that a trans-oceanic tunnel/pipe of radius of curvature greater than the earth would allow a "frictionless" object to freely accelerate to a maximum velocity to its midpoint and then deccelerate to zero velocity to its end point ?
[quote=Mike Kremer]
Thats an interesting thought of yours.
Yes.
Your object would freely accelerate to a maximum velocity to its midpoint and then deccelerate to zero velocity CLOSE to its end point.
Your trans-oceanic curved tunnel with a negative radius of curvature, connecting the UK with the USA, holding a man sitting on a bicycle, or in a car, could reach quite a respectable speed, at the tunnels halfway point. Since at halfway he would be nearer the Earths center.
Even in a perfectly straight tunnel, you would spend very little energy to reach the halfway point.
But once you reached past halfway, you would be relying upon impetus, eventually gravity will slow you down to a stop, before you reach the other end. (True with most curvertures of tunnel you build, but not all. There are a couple of curvatures I believe where you can beat physics, and pop out of your tunnel into the air again, at quite a fast speed!!
)
Be careful not to build your straight tunnel between countries too far apart. Say UK and India, otherwise you will be pedaling steeply uphill, once your initial 'downhill speed ' dropped off.
