Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: eddirichard on 25/06/2004 19:06:27

Title: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: eddirichard on 25/06/2004 19:06:27

Metals especially iron stick to magnets. I'm not made of iron so why don't I just float away?[V]

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: neilep on 25/06/2004 20:02:43

.....I'm not a scientist here but I wonder if something called gravity has something to do with it :-)..

Oh...and we all have a little iron in us too....I think enough to make a one inch nail or somethin.

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !' (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-of-smilies.de%2Fhtml%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2FSchilder2%2Finsanes.gif&hash=4f18432872d0188852a6f4a3170ec758)

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: tweener on 26/06/2004 03:04:54

Neil is right.  You don't float away because gravity, not magnetism, is attracting you to the earth.  The earth has a magnetic field, but that is not what causes things to "stick" to it - that is purely gravity.

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: Exodus on 30/06/2004 08:45:47

I'm crap at physics but isnt it one of Newtons laws that anything with mass has a gravitational pull?

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: neilep on 30/06/2004 19:32:18

What is it that someone once said ? 'there's no gravity...the Earth sucks'...it's an oldie but a goodie.

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !' (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-of-smilies.de%2Fhtml%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2FSchilder2%2Finsanes.gif&hash=4f18432872d0188852a6f4a3170ec758)

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: tweener on 01/07/2004 03:29:35

quote:

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Originally posted by Exodus

I'm crap at physics but isnt it one of Newtons laws that anything with mass has a gravitational pull?

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You're close!  That comes from Einstein.

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

Title: Re: Earth is a magnet, why don't i fly away?
Post by: Exodus on 03/07/2004 04:10:21

thanks, you can see where my strengths lie! lol