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<elevators-20230701124153@ram.dialup.fu-berlin.de> b8ecbd24
@REPLY: 2@dont-email.me> 5fd20930
@REPLYADDR Stefan Ram <ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de>
@REPLYTO 2:5075/128 Stefan Ram
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@TID: FIDOGATE-5.12-ge4e8b94
vallor <
vallor@cultnix.org> writes:
>I was referring to the observation that Einstein made that one
>couldn`t tell the difference from within an elevator in either
>situation. I was pointing out that with sensitive enough instruments,
>you can tell the difference.
The gravitational potential at the bottom of the elevator is
V( x )= -GM/x, where
x is the distance from the center of the Earth to the bottom
of the elevator,
G is the gravitational constant, and
M the mass of the Earth.
At the top, it`s
V( x + h )= -GM/( x + h ), where
h is the height of the elevator.
So the difference is
-GM/( x + h )-( -GM/x )= GMh/( x^2 + hx )~ GMh/x^2.
This difference can be made as small as wanted by reducing the
height of the elevator. We also should reduce the size of the
floor as otherwise the direction of the force differs between
different points of the floor. So, it seems to me that for such
gedanken-experiments one uses elevators of infinitesimal size!
--- FIDOGATE 5.12-ge4e8b94
* Origin: Stefan Ram (2:5075/128)
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