and why dose it not smash into the sun
2006-07-19 06:39:43 · 10 answers · asked by welsh lizard 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The earth revolves around the sun and rotates on its axis due to a delicate balance of forces. right now the Earth is moving through space at incredible speed. The laws of motion state that objects in motion will remain in motion unless an opposing force stops that object. We'll call this momentum. Without another force affecting our path the earth would keep flying in a straight path out into space. However the suns gravity is constantly pulling us towards it we would just fly off into space in a straight line. However b/c the earth's momentum is constantly pushing us forward, and the sun's gravity is constantly pulling in...the balance of force we move in an eliptical patern. It's alot like tieing a baseball to the end of a rope and swinging the rope. The forward motion (momentum) keeps the baseball from falling and the rope (gravity) keeps the basebell from flying off into space.
Earths rotation is a product of these two forces. If you were to take a basket ball and place your foot on it so that it can't move...then take a golf ball and place it on the surface of the basketball. Then push the golf ball along would would be the equator of the basketball. Notice how the golf ball naturally wants to roll or "rotate" along the surface of the basketball. Now granted that is a rough analogy. Earth's rotation is caused by the opposition between momentum and the sun's gravity. The golf ball's rotation is caused by momentum and friction with the surface of the basketball.
The Earth doesn't smash into the sun b/c in effect...the force of our momentum and the strength of the sun's gravity is perfectly balanced to allow us to maintain our orbit.
Knowing that...consider this...if the Sun's gravity had a severe enough fluctuation and it was temporarily lessoned...the stability of our orbit would be disturbed. The force of our momentum would be greater than the Sun's gravity and we would go hurling into the cold of space...On the other hand...if for some reason our momentum suffered a severe fluctuation and was lessoned a great deal...our orbit would decay and we would infact go crashing into the sun.
Pretty freaky to know just how NOT in control you are isn't it? Life on earth wouldn't exist without numerous very fragile factors being in place...or at least not life as we know it! Who knows what adaptations life could make to survive in different circumstances...
2006-07-19 07:04:05 · answer #1 · answered by Dustin S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That everything has SOME spin doesn't require much explanation. The alternative is that all the forces in the universe lined up exactly, which seems unlikely. Because if you shove something here, and something else shoves it there, and the two forces don't line up, then the object will turn. And once it is started turning it will continue doing that until some other pushes stop it. That's the physical law of conservation of angular momentum, which all physical theories obey.
What does require explanation is when you find a system of objects all spinning in the same direction.
as far as for the not hitting the sun thing the earth is trying to fly away from the sun the sun is pulling with all it's might and is just able to hold the earth where it is lets hope the sun doesn't weaken or get stronger for that matter.
2006-07-19 06:50:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
in accordance to some scientists the earth all started spinning even as it became hit by technique of yet another planet it truly is also even as the moon became made. i assume all the different planets spin for an similar reason. Our galaxy spins because at its centre is a black hollow it truly is sucking remember into it, this sucking action motives the remember to spin round it an similar as water draining right into a plug hollow.
2016-12-01 22:24:42 · answer #3 · answered by charyl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth revolves around the Sun, on something called an elliptical orbit. The earth makes one complete revolution on its axis every 24 hours.
2006-07-19 06:43:30 · answer #4 · answered by alwaysbombed 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, pretty much everything in the universe spins. It doesn't crash because it is in what is called a sustained orbit. Because of this orbit though, the Earth's spin is gradually getting slower and slower. But not to worry! It takes hundreds of thousands, if not, millions of years to see a difference!
2006-07-19 06:47:08 · answer #5 · answered by Blake 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Earth turns like its on axis, its gravity from the sun forces it to orbit it.
2006-07-19 08:00:33 · answer #6 · answered by professor_brett 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without the spin we would not have gravity or a magnetic field(not only for navigation, it also protects from solar radiation).
2006-07-19 06:45:11 · answer #7 · answered by Jillsifer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God created it to spin so you could have the wonderful privilege of experiencing night and day.
Read Genesis 1 in the Bible.
2006-07-19 07:53:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Itz on an axis
2006-07-19 06:44:05 · answer #9 · answered by Christina 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because that's how it started during the "big bang". I wonder who lit the fuse?
2006-07-19 07:01:01 · answer #10 · answered by Don S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋