why is the earth spinning from east to west? how do we know it doesn't spin otherwise?

Answer 1

We have seen it from space.

Answer 2

First of all North, South, East and West Are arbitrary indicators of direction.

Since the sun appears to rise in the East and Geenwich is the arbitrary meridian the USA, being to the west, will experience a later sunrise than Britain. Therefore the direction of spin IS from West to East. Therefore any point on the earth's surface is moving in an Easterly direction.

This is why an International dateline is necessary.

Travel by Jet Eastwards and you will arrive at your destination later than if the earth was stationary.

Conversely, travelling Westwards, you will arrive at your destination sooner than if the earth was stationary.

An analogy is your car, travelling south at constant speed, will take longer to catch up with a car twenty miles ahead travelling south than it would to catch up with a car twenty miles ahead travelling north.

Assume a constant speed for the other cars with your car moving faster. In one case the speeds are subtracted, while in the second case the speeds are added.

An arbitrary 24 hour day is the time taken for one revolution of the earth on its axis.

The sun is the centre of our solar system and seasonal changes can only result from an orbit around the sun and the tilt of the earth's axis.

The earth is spinning from the result of its evolution in space. The direction of spin is, as stated above, quite arbitrary.

Answer 3

Earth spins from West to East. That is why all space bodies appear to rise from the East.

Answer 4

By watching the motion of the Sun and stars across the sky. They move very little relative to the surface of the Earth, so we can infer the rotation of the Earth from their apparent motion.

Newton, Copernicus, and Kepler figured this out a few hundred years ago. Newton figured the inverse-square law of gravity, Copernicus realized that everything worked if you put the Sun in the center of the solar system, and Kepler figured out that the orbits of the planets were elliptical.

Answer 5

It's not - it's spinning from West to East!

Answer 6

because it's oval and as any other oval object, that's the way it tilts hence, it spins. And we know that from stalite images and videos, including the team THAT WENT ON A MISSION ON THE 4TH OF JULY. GO DISCOVERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Have you heard of Satellites, Computers, Space-ships/shuttles. They're all great inventions and can do amazing things.

:-)

Answer 8

we would fall lol