If you really could dig a hole to China, and you did, and you fell in, would you stop in the middle because of gravity?

Question: If you really could dig a hole to China, and you did, and you fell in, would you stop in the middle because of gravity?
- Keywords:
  china,
  dig,
  gravity,
  hole
Asked by meatsword to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 25 Jun 2012.
- Tom Lister answered on 25 Jun 2012:
  
  If you had a straight hole through the centre of the earth (USA to China for example, or here to NZ) and you could avoid the extreme heat as you went down, then I think you would just float somewhere around the middle. When you were in the middle, you would be being pulled by gravity from the earth in all directions at the same time – but this would cancel itself out so you would feel like you were floating in space!
  
  There is a bit of pull from the moon and sun etc and some bits of the earth are heavier than others, but you would be somewhere near the middle.
- Tim Stephens answered on 25 Jun 2012:
  
  Yep, pretty much, although you’d bounce (oscillate) up and down a bit until you came to rest at the equilibrium (balance) point.
- Tianfu Yao answered on 25 Jun 2012:
  
  If the earth can still exist, then I suppose you will fell in and stop around the central point.
- Philippa Bird answered on 25 Jun 2012:
  
  Cool, I didn’t know that! Good question!