I'm thinking in terms of collisions: collisions being the cause of pressure, and the only way matter can interact with matter (barring forces like magnetism). It seems reasonable that there would be more collisions when arc meets line, as the two are closer. Similarly, there's much more along the arc for molecules to hit, meaning the pressure at any one point should be less than that along the lower line.
Seeing as I believe you are logically smart and intelligent, I'd like you to think on my lines. I'm not asking you to accept and I welcome criticism or questioning, just do me the favour of not thinking on the lines of gravity to do this.
That being said, I want you to think of atmosphere, not as you have been told, as in particles just fizzing about in any directions they want with freedom - just think of the atmosphere of molecules as bubbles in a sink. No space between the bubbles and bear in mind that each bubble is a skin within a skin within a skin. It's like a gob stopper (jaw breaker) inner just like all matter is. It expands or contracts.
I'm not asking you to accept this I'm asking you to see it from my point.
Now this being said, what we have are molecules that never seperate. They are always attached whether they pop to your eye view or expand.
It's hard to imagine by just trying to visualise. It requires thought - but basic thought, which seems plain and simple - and it is - except it isn't when your thoughts are channelled into a more complex situation from what you've been schooled into. See what I mean?
Oh and yeah: why should you take notice of a bozo like me who's clearly as stupid as they come. Fair enough. My basic explanations will always garner this thought in people. I'm not having a dig at you by saying this. I'm basically saying it's more of a trait among people to dismiss out of hand rather than say, " hang on a minute, let me change aspect here and look into this."
I'm serious when I say you possess the logic to actually look at this. The only issue you have is playing it from your point without interference from people who will believe you are changing your stance on things.
This isn't about arguing and getting one over each other. This is about you having an alternate view.
I understand you know maths and what not and how it can be used for certain things. The thing is (if you are honest) most of the way out maths requires little to no use other than theoretical thought processess.
Anyway I'm just saying - and I don't want to argue about maths as it's not needed for basic understanding of what I'm getting at.
date=1424949063]The question is why this grip only acts in one direction. if I jump up, friction grips both my sides, and the air 'above' me pulls me down:
No it doesn't pull you down. That's why I implore you look deeply into what I'm telling you.
Your own mass and density of your full body expands into the atmosphere. You compress that atmosphere by rising into it and displacing your mass and density of your body against that. Moving that mass of air away from your body.
Think of it like this.
A big tub of sponge balls. You push into it from the bottom. What happens?
The sponge balls are pushed out of the way by your mass. What happens to them?
In terms of the tub, those sponge balls you displaced are now squashing each other around you and squashing back against you.
Those above your head and shoulder are also squashed upwards.
Your feet are stopping them pushing you into the ground and your body is strong enough to easily resist that.
Now try and jump up and you realise that your head and shoulders are pushing into the compressed sponges and compressing them more but they get pushed around you creating a friction grip as well.
Now if that tub was large enough and you walked horizontally in it, you are not compressing the balls above you any more than you were at the start. Also you are walking away from the sponge balls behind you and compressing the ones in front a bit more which get pushed back around you which push into the looser ones you left and compress against them and back onto your back. It's a classic action/reaction.
You see, all you need is the immediate energy to start the action, then the atmosphere works with you from that point by always filling in your pressure change.
You create high pressure at the front by compression and decompress slightly the balls you walk away from, creating high and low pressure.
See what I'm saying?
date=1424949063]fine. But then, if I move sideways, there's still air pressure to push against, and a friction grip of air above me, plus the ground below me with even more friction.
Yep but as above, your horizontal movement is sorted so now we have the above as you walk horizontal.
When you walk you do the same thing, your head moves forward and leaves that head space to be filled as you compress into that space you're in now. It just compresses back around you.
It's a classic equal and opposite reaction to action. We can't survive without it. This is why Newtons laws do not work in what we are told is space. It's a con to keep space alive.
We won't go into this though as it just starts to go twisted.
date=1424949063] Either way, at some point I'm completely surrounded by air and air alone: and that air has no concept of where up or down is, and yet it, without fail, pulls me down: and never pushes me back to where I started on the horizontal plane.
Like I said. There is never a PULL on Earth in any form whatsoever. It's always push no matter what you do. It's all about understanding it though.
You control the space you're in. That space you are in determines your measured weight by your own displacement of atmosphere by compression.
date=1424949063]The only possibility I can see is how air has somewhere to go when you move horizontally, as the ground's not in the way: but the space occupied by the ground is minimal, and you just need to jump off a diving board to see it makes little difference. Jumping upwards doesn't make a vacuum below you: air moves in.
A diving board is a solid base. When you push down on it and launch yourself, you are using your own mass/density to push the floor away from you like a spongy spring (action) which will equally push back onto your mass/density (reaction) to allow you to compress more air above you which will react accordingly in the same manner by compressing you back down.