P3_8 Tunnel to the centre of the Earth

Abstract

If a tunnel was dug between the North and South pole, then a person, modelled as a particle would fall to the centre of Earth at a terminal velocity of 21,000 m/s. It would take around 300 s for the particle to reach the centre of the Earth. At the centre, the particle would oscillate in simple harmonic motion unless the tunnel was a vacuum and the person would never reach the other side.