Is it possible to travel in a straight line?
340102
I read all the answers and chewed over what ZAHIER had to say...as you know we are unable to leave earth to travel into deep space with out first using our gravity to gain speed and break away from our own gravity pull.... NO we cant at this time travel in a straight line into space, gravity will alter your course creating curves.
420069
A straight line is the shortest distance.
613637
NO.\nTechnically speaking if you travel on the earth in on a single vector you would not end up in the same place because in order to do so you would be constantly changing your vector. Technically speaking.
411708
of course you can,just like you can jump infront of a moving bus...the result would be the same..
874038
hope you find this useful....\nconsider instead of a round trip, he takes a trip in only one direction, from say A to B....i.e for 360 miles\nas you know, \nspeed = distance/time  or   time = distance/speed\n\nso , with constant speed say x, his time t  is 360/x.\n\nconsidering any point m between A and B, his total time  for the journey can also be written as the sum of the time taken from A to m, and time taken from m to B.\n\n t = 360/x = [m/x ]+ [( 360- m )/x ] ---------(1) \n\nthis is a general solution ,considering the trip as being in only one direction. but in our problem, the journey is up and down,so  the point m is midway (180),and his speed changes ( increases by 9)his total time changes(given as decreases by 2 hours).\n\nso the new equation is....\n\nt-2 = [m/x ]+ [(360 - m)/(x+9)]     ---------(2)\n\nsubtracting (2) from (1), we get,\n\nt - (t-2) =[ (360 -m)/x ] -  [ (360 -m)/(x+9)]-----------(3)\n\n 2 = [180/x] - [ 180/(x+9)]...........( since m = 180)\n\nsolve for x...\n\nthats the speed in the forward trip\nx+9 is the speed on the return trip.
1182951
You know that's a good question but I don't think so. With all the modern methods of travel and exploration, I don't' think there is...\n\nHave a great day..
949273
The land does not move beneath us.  What are you talking about - the revolution of the Earth on its axis?\n\nIf that is the case, please take note, as I have seen nobody answer this frequently asked question correctly.\n\nIf you turn round quickly on the spot, you'll soon get dizzy, even though no part of your body is moving much more than a few miles per hour.\n\nIf you drive around a traffic island at 60 mph, you will throw your passengers all over the place.\n\nIf you drive around the city loop at 60 mph, you will hardly notice any turning forces.\n\nSo, speed is not the critical factor in how turning affects you.  What affects you is the rate at which you are changing direction. \n\nWith the Earth taking 24 hours to turn once, at any point in time you are not changing direction hardly at all, and from minute to minute you are travelling in a straighter line than a draughtsperson could draw.  \n\nTravelling in a straight line at constant speed has no effect on you at all, even if it is 1 million mph.
509940
by air, or ship or jus simply walk!
7662
A point does not have a direction. So I guess the answer is yes.
192657
No way to know.  What is the shape of "everything"?  I think it is round and that if you go to one end, you'll end up back at the same point if you keep going the same direction.\n\nGood question.
18831
A straight line.\n(Now I'm expecting you to come with a funny answer to this common sense question)
993361
Hrmm the problem is "path relative to what frame of reference"?  See, the earth is moving along in a straight line through the curved or warped space of the Sun's gravity well.  But, I guess you're looking for the answer:  straight line.
821134
One does not dive in a straight line, unless one is diving straight down. The effect of gravity causes the body to accelerate in the vertical direction, while (ignoring wind resistance and the curvature of the earth) one travels at a constant speed in the horizontal direction.\n\nSo this become a question of the length of the parabolic curve that you follow in travelling from the diving block to the water. This will be slightly greater than the 5-foot straight-line distance to the landing point (the splash point).\n\nIf you are studying calculus, write an expression for the path that the body follows, and apply the following formula: \ndistance = Integral (sqrt(1 + (dy/dx)^2) dx)\n\nRegarding your followup question:\nIf you're assuming that everything is a straight line, you just ratio everything up (using the concept of similar triangles), so the answer is 6/5 of 3 feet.\nIf you're using calculus, you need to use the concepts in the explanation above, and eventually use algebra to solve for the height of the platform.
180846
Interesting question and one asked in various forms for several centuries.  The answer, of course, is "yes" because the logic in the way the question is framed is specious.  The act of traveling does not divide into discrete units but is an on-going process tht will eventually terminate at the wall
426961
You can do this at every single place on earth.\n\nI think you forgot part of the joke.\n\nAn electric train is going down a straightaway at 150 mph due south it goes into a gradual turn slowing to 100mph and is now going East, it goes into another turn at 120mph and is now going North, another turn and it is heading West at 160mph.\nWhich way does the smoke go?
223169
It is a straight line. You're looking at a map when you should be looking at a globe.  \n\nFind a globe and stretch a string from your North American origin to your overseas destination, and I'll bet it follow the same path you're talking about.
1047844
nice question  theoretically you would be pulled in every outward direction, which would be interesting.