How Long To Fall Through The Earth?

You'd fall through the Earth in about 45 minutes if you could dig a hole straight through it and jump in.

When you jump, gravity pulls you down, just like when you bounce on a trampoline. But if there was a giant tunnel all the way through the Earth, you'd fall until you reached the other side, then start going back up again, like a bouncy ball.

At first, you’d go really fast, faster than a rocket! But as you get deeper into the Earth, the gravity gets weaker because there's less Earth above you. It’s like when you're on a slide and you slow down near the bottom.

By the time you reach the middle of the Earth, you’re going slower, but still moving, just like when you roll a ball across the floor and it keeps going until it stops.

If you could fall all the way through without stopping, you'd take about 45 minutes to get from one side to the other. Then you’d start falling back up again, just like a fun game of "go down, come up!"