If All Chinese Jumped At Once...

Swiss Miss · 03-28-2006, 12:57 PM

... would cataclysm result?

I've been wondering... if every man, woman, and child in China each stood on a chair, and everyone jumped off their chair at exactly the same time, would the earth be thrown off its axis? Discuss...

EDIT:
In my quest for the answer of this, I discovered this website: http://www.worldjumpday.org/
It seems I'm not the only one...

RadioactiveMan · 03-31-2006, 11:40 PM

According to my calculations, six billion people, weighing 60 Kg each makes a total of 3.5x10^13 N. The Earth weighs 5.98x10^24 N, and the gravitational force between the two is 3.4x10^14 N. Keep dreaming, Swiss!

edit: A couple digits doesn't matter, Swiss. My answer is close enough!

Free-range Toilet Roll · 04-20-2006, 06:32 AM

Unless every man woman and child on earth moved to the same country and did this jump it wouldn't work, as a heavy dude in the US would cancel out the force of 2 chinese guys...

but what would work is, instead of just decommisioning missiles when the nuclear warhead is removed, turn them upside down, fix them against hte earth and fire all of them at once... that is what, 24 000 missiles, each one able to propel itself far over the speed of sound? I think we would move quite a bit

Mr-Pan · 05-07-2006, 01:21 PM

I highly doubt people jumping could split the earth apart.

Jens · 05-07-2006, 01:36 PM

By jumping you push the Earth away from yourself, only to be snapped back by gravitational forces. The effect would be nothing but tired legs.

My graphical representation (not to scale!). Earth: 0; you: .

Code:

--------0.---------

Jump!

-------0--------.--

And then you come back:
--------0.---------

The Earth moved slightly and you moved a lot when you jumped, but then you get pull back again proportional to the original jumping force (based on mass).

Unless you somehow are able to convert your work energy into mass (ie high speeds) it would not do anything.

But then again maybe I'm crazy.

Big Red 11 · 07-27-2006, 07:24 PM

Let this thread rise!

Jens is right. Newton's 3rd law would keep the earth from moving anywhere. The only thing that could move the earth would be an object slamming into it from outer space or an object pushing off and never coming back. So if all the rockets in the world were launched off of a single area and into space, we could get some sort of effect. But nothing that would be perceptible to humans.

Freed · 08-17-2006, 11:27 AM

No even if everyone in the whole world jumped at the same time, the Earth wouldn't be affected at all. It is just to big.

03-28-2006, 12:57 PM	#1
Swiss Miss Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 160	If All Chinese Jumped At Once... ... would cataclysm result? I've been wondering... if every man, woman, and child in China each stood on a chair, and everyone jumped off their chair at exactly the same time, would the earth be thrown off its axis? Discuss... EDIT: In my quest for the answer of this, I discovered this website: http://www.worldjumpday.org/ It seems I'm not the only one... Last edited by Swiss Miss; 03-28-2006 at 01:06 PM.

03-31-2006, 11:40 PM	#2
RadioactiveMan Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: B.C. Age: 19 Posts: 113	According to my calculations, six billion people, weighing 60 Kg each makes a total of 3.5x10^13 N. The Earth weighs 5.98x10^24 N, and the gravitational force between the two is 3.4x10^14 N. Keep dreaming, Swiss! edit: A couple digits doesn't matter, Swiss. My answer is close enough! Last edited by RadioactiveMan; 04-01-2006 at 01:39 AM.

05-07-2006, 01:36 PM	#5
Jens Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1	By jumping you push the Earth away from yourself, only to be snapped back by gravitational forces. The effect would be nothing but tired legs. My graphical representation (not to scale!). Earth: 0; you: . Code: --------0.--------- Jump! -------0--------.-- And then you come back: --------0.--------- The Earth moved slightly and you moved a lot when you jumped, but then you get pull back again proportional to the original jumping force (based on mass). Unless you somehow are able to convert your work energy into mass (ie high speeds) it would not do anything. But then again maybe I'm crazy.

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04-20-2006, 06:32 AM	#3
Free-range Toilet Roll Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 6	Unless every man woman and child on earth moved to the same country and did this jump it wouldn't work, as a heavy dude in the US would cancel out the force of 2 chinese guys... but what would work is, instead of just decommisioning missiles when the nuclear warhead is removed, turn them upside down, fix them against hte earth and fire all of them at once... that is what, 24 000 missiles, each one able to propel itself far over the speed of sound? I think we would move quite a bit

05-07-2006, 01:21 PM	#4
Mr-Pan Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 11	I highly doubt people jumping could split the earth apart.

07-27-2006, 07:24 PM	#6
Big Red 11 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 121	Let this thread rise! Jens is right. Newton's 3rd law would keep the earth from moving anywhere. The only thing that could move the earth would be an object slamming into it from outer space or an object pushing off and never coming back. So if all the rockets in the world were launched off of a single area and into space, we could get some sort of effect. But nothing that would be perceptible to humans.

08-17-2006, 11:27 AM	#7
Freed Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: suburbs of chicago Age: 19 Posts: 3	No even if everyone in the whole world jumped at the same time, the Earth wouldn't be affected at all. It is just to big.