Considering there is no wind, if I could jump straight up in the air and be airborne a couple of feet in the air for a couple of hours, would I land in the same spot, or would I land in a different spot due tot he earths rotation????
2006-07-06 12:44:53 · 3 answers · asked by Mr MOJO123 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
First of all, there's no way you can be airborne. But if you could, you would land in the same place. When you're in a car, and you throw something up, does it go crashing into the back? So, because it already gained the velocity of the car. Same here. Everyone on Earth already gained the speed of which the ground below them is rotating at (anywhere below 1667 km/h)(the closer to the equator you are, the faster). Actually you may move a little since when you jump up, you have to move a longer distance, but your speed is still that of the ground, however, that difference is minuscule. In fact, so minuscule that if you are up there for 24 hours, you will only be behind 1m! That's minusule alright.
Newton's law says that something will continue to maintain its velocity and direction unless an external force acts on it. So no force is stopping you from keeping up with the Earth, so you will keep up with the Earth.
2006-07-06 13:17:27 · answer #1 · answered by Science_Guy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without any outside influences it is possible you would move ever so slightly with respect to the earths rotation (the Earth's angular momentum with respect to the spin axis changes on your way up so you slow the earth down slightly. Also you would perturb the Earth as you jumped up),
Gravity has little to do with this (although your weight would also decrease) - momentum (mass and velocity) is what rules...
2006-07-06 12:53:03 · answer #2 · answered by Steve D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same spot. Gravity would continue to have it's lateral hold on you.
2006-07-06 12:47:22 · answer #3 · answered by Fun and Games 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋