What would happen to the Earth if Gravity disappeared?

This is a multi-tiered question. I have seen these larger questions before, but if I need to separate them out into their own questions let me know.

In my story I have a machine that can manipulate gravity, either increasing it or decreasing it. The how is not important, I want to know what would happen after it was turned on at different levels.

What would happen to the earth if a zero-g environment were created on the earth that is:

• 1 cubic foot
• 10 cubic feet
• 100 cubic feet
• 1 cubic mile
• 10 cubic miles
• 100 cubic miles
• Encompassing the entire surface of the earth and atmosphere, but not penetrating into the surface
• Encompassing the entire earth, from the top of the atmosphere right down to the core.

These events will be localized to the Earth, meaning that the Earths gravity still exists outside of the area of effect.

Area outside of the zero-g environment experience normal gravity, including directly above it. Time frame is indefinitely (or until the machine is turned off).

I assume that when you get into the larger areas that it will have extremely detrimental effects on the Earth, what would these be? On what kind of time scale would the atmosphere leave and make the planet uninhabitable? Would the planet break apart? Would it happen within minutes, hours, days, years?

posted over 9 years ago

TaylorAllred‭

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