• Numberone@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    Physics teacher: “The electrical force that repels the bottom of your foot from the surface of the earth is greater than the gravitational attraction between the entire earth and yourself”.

    Me: 😲

    Edit: I guess it’s more correct to say “equal to”, rather than “greater” since you’re static.

      • Numberone@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        12
        ·
        6 months ago

        If it weren’t true you would be experiencing a net acceleration due to the imbalance in the forces acting on you.

        What’s really interesting is figuring out WHY mechanistically it’s true. I had to rethink the whole thing this morning, because it really is pretty nuts how much weaker gravity is than the electrostatic force.