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.
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.
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.
How can they be true?
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.