What would happen if you had a golf ball that doubled in density once an hour? | Hacker News Reader

What would happen if you had a golf ball that doubled in density once an hour?

quora.com

68 pointsgeorgecmu9 comments

That was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be, if you’re on the fence about reading it. It puts those mass levels into perspective.

> Gravity is now 50% stronger than normal. Running is nearly impossible and many people can’t walk. Nothing can fly, including all airplanes.

That seems quite surprising. This says that no airplane can lift more than half its own empty weight? For baloons and zeppelins I guess that sounds reasonable, but cargo planes or jets should be able to lift more, right?

Also, at that point air density should be effected, which should give more lift.

You are correct. Nearly all aircraft are structurally capable of withstanding 2g maneuvers[1]. This doesn't automatically imply sustained flight, as the induced drag from the high angle of attack may eventually overwhelm a marginal powerplant, but pretty much any aerobatic, commercial, or military craft should be perfectly capable of flight.

The density increase will increase lift, yes, but also drag which is the main enemy. Wings are more efficient at lower angles of attack, so that will improve. The other types of drag will mostly cancel out.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_factor_(aeronautics)#Desi...

Yeah though some long flights woods take off and any flight over an hour might never arrive

>9PM: Our golf ball weighs about as much as a blue whale. It is now super-mammalian.

>10PM: It weighs more than the Space Shuttle maximum payload.

>11PM: It weighs more than the Space Station

>12AM: It weighs more than the Space Shuttle with payload.

I don't know what's more interesting, that the space shuttle can boost a blue whale into orbit or that we could boost the mass equivalent of the ISS station into orbit with one launch

> 8am, so dense you can’t pick it up.

Speak for yourself bro. flexes noodley web developer arm

These kinds of questions are fun. Very much in the spirit of XKCD’s “what if?” series.

Good read, but I'm a little suspicious of these questions being 'asked and answered' by the same person.

I was surprised by the time it takes to go from neutron star to black hole...

Fore!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com