A stupid physics question

[Crescent Pulsar S]

What would happen to a person -- say, on the planet Earth -- who suddenly became an exception to being affected by gravity?

My feeble mind tried to think about mass, density, pressure, et cetera and it made a Bog of Eternal Stench noise. ;/

[Pale Wolf]

They'd fly off. Remember, the Earth is rotating, and soaring through space. If you are no longer attached to the Earth, it'll leave you behind.

[PCHeintz72]

They'd fly off. Remember, the Earth is rotating, and soaring through space. If you are no longer attached to the Earth, it'll leave you behind.

Probably even worse than that...

Yes... gravity is what keeps us grounded to the planet itself...

But gravity and pressure is all that really keeps us together...

If nothing were attracting even the cells together

[Crescent Pulsar S]

They'd fly off. Remember, the Earth is rotating, and soaring through space. If you are no longer attached to the Earth, it'll leave you behind.

So it's as simple as that? I was assuming it'd be more complicated, but...

Probably even worse than that...

Yes... gravity is what keeps us grounded to the planet itself...

But gravity and pressure is all that really keeps us together...

If nothing were attracting even the cells together

I was wondering about that, too.

Well, that's one thing to write off. Looks like I'll have to think of something else, since I doubt I'd be able to use gravity if it's not by negating it completely ('cause I have an even smaller grasp of that).

[Knight of L-sama]

Probably even worse than that...

Yes... gravity is what keeps us grounded to the planet itself...

But gravity and pressure is all that really keeps us together...

If nothing were attracting even the cells together

Actually, not really. Our skin is sufficiently elastic that in theory if exposed to vacuum it would keep us together (exposed things like eyeballs, the interior of the nasal passages and the tongue would be damaged, but those would be about it. Well and oxygen deprivation). And over the scale of a human body, gravitational forces are negligible to the point of non-existence. That's all chemical and atomic bonds and that's a separate fundamental force all together.

[PCHeintz72]

And over the scale of a human body, gravitational forces are negligible to the point of non-existence.

True... but negligible des not mean not present... the issue is it is negligible due to fact we are mostly surrounded by the earths field, and attracted to that... even in space, that negligible force is there... removal of it entirely though... does not bode too well....

[Spica75]

Probably even worse than that...

Yes... gravity is what keeps us grounded to the planet itself...

But gravity and pressure is all that really keeps us together...

If nothing were attracting even the cells together

Gravity is not the same as the strong or weak nuclear force. Gravity most certainly has little(nothing) to do with "keeping us together". And while humans can´t survive vacuum, there´s nothing at all preventing the existence of something living that can. And a human ending up weightless in vacuum does NOT disintegrate in any way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_interaction
Four fundamental interactions are conventionally recognized: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Gravity most certainly has little(nothing) to do with "keeping us together". And while humans can´t survive vacuum, there´s nothing at all preventing the existence of something living that can. And a human ending up weightless in vacuum does NOT disintegrate in any way.

There is, in fact, a creature known for surviving in vacuum: the tardigrade, or water bear.

Mind you, they're only a millimeter long.

Gravity has its uses in human survival, no question there. It keeps us from floating into the air, and it keeps the air where we need it. The people on the ISS have no problem surviving for six months or so without gravity -- they have an airtight compartment. (Long-term life in zero g is not good for the health. Short term, no problem.) The electromagnetic force holds our atoms and molecules in place; the strong nuclear force holds the nuclei of our atoms together, and the weak nuclear force only shows up for radioactive decay.

If you suddenly were not affected by gravity, it'd be rather like being a person-shaped helium balloon. You would rise into the air like that balloon, slowly. Eventually, you'd reach the top of the atmosphere. What happens after that depends on whether you've lost inertial mass as well as gravitational mass, but most likely you'd just keep on going at the speed of the earth in its orbit. The earth would circle out from under you, in its trip around the sun.

All you would need to avoid this fate is a pocket full of rocks. But be careful about skinny-dipping. Save nudity for indoors.

[Crescent Pulsar S]

Just out of curiosity... If you were no longer affected by the Earth's gravitational field, and located where the planet's rotation would definitely become a factor (like, somewhere around the speed of sound, at least), rather than floating "up" are you more likely to get the rug pulled out from under you and killed as you either ricochet off of the surface somewhere or get swatted by something and sent careening away?

[PCHeintz72]

One thing occurs to me, though I do not have an exact answer...

I do not think you would merely be able to step or jump off the planet per se... as even if the earth's gravity could not affect you, I would imagine that atmospheric pressure and friction against the air and clouds might slow you a bit...

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Just out of curiosity... If you were no longer affected by the Earth's gravitational field, and located where the planet's rotation would definitely become a factor (like, somewhere around the speed of sound, at least), rather than floating "up" are you more likely to get the rug pulled out from under you and killed as you either ricochet off of the surface somewhere or get swatted by something and sent careening away?

Not in the least. If you maintain inertial mass, you start off moving at the same speed as the surface you were standing on. If the inertial mass also goes away things get questionable indeed, but air friction would keep you moving with the atmosphere, gently rising as your buoyancy carries you up. Just like that balloon did.

[Spica75]

Not in the least. If you maintain inertial mass, you start off moving at the same speed as the surface you were standing on. If the inertial mass also goes away things get questionable indeed, but air friction would keep you moving with the atmosphere, gently rising as your buoyancy carries you up. Just like that balloon did.

I think there would be quite some difference in regards to where on earth you start as well.

Your suggestion would work very well for someone closer to the poles, where the spin of the earth provides less spinspeed. But elsewhere, i expect the spin of the earth would throw you "ahead" rather forcefully.


Edit: And then there is of course the movement of earth through space to take into account as well.

are you more likely to get the rug pulled out from under you and killed as you either ricochet off of the surface somewhere or get swatted by something and sent careening away?

Since you apparently start out going along with the earths spin, that would mean you already have that movement, so probably no time for any "rugpulling". Would be like being thrown by catapult at the moment gravity stops affecting you.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Since you apparently start out going along with the earths spin, that would mean you already have that movement, so probably no time for any "rugpulling". Would be like being thrown by catapult at the moment gravity stops affecting you.

You don't suddenly stop -- you simply stop weighing anything.

[Cheb]

But elsewhere, i expect the spin of the earth would throw you "ahead" rather forcefully.

The Earth's spin would be just another small force that presses you to the ceiling. It's an acceleration that is much smaller than 1g, so there's no problem keeping you moving along with your room as it circles with Earth's rotation and orbital movement. Remember: very small g-forces acting on the order of hours (rotation) and months (orbital movement). I bet you won't even notice these on the background of air pressure pushing you up.

[Spica75]

You don't suddenly stop -- you simply stop weighing anything.

Yes? That´s what i said?

The Earth's spin would be just another small force that presses you to the ceiling. It's an acceleration that is much smaller than 1g

Who said anything about being indoors? And with 465m/s spinspeed at the equator, well i doubt i´d like it.