What stops the SUN's gravity from just pulling us into it??

Answer 1

The gravity of a given mass will pull outside objects toward its center. So the Earth, and all the planets are being pulled toward the core of the Sun (as opposed to the surface of the sun.) At the same time, the Earth is trying to pull the sun toward its own center.

As the Earth races through space at approximately 67,000 MPH it is constantly falling toward the center of the sun. However, its speed changes the direction of the fall. Effectively, we are falling toward the center of the sun, but we are moving by that center so quickly that we can never hit it. we just race by, and eventually get pulled in the exact opposite direction at the other side of the sun.

So to answer your question, nothing stops the sun's gravity from pulling us in. It is pulling us in right now. Our planet has been falling into the sun for 4.5 billion years.

We just keep missing.

- Cai

Answer 2

Ok, I do understand how this works, the problem is going to be explaining it without having pictures. A few have tried, and I've only just understood what they were saying when I know how it works! Here goes then:

At any one time the Earth is moving at 90 degrees to the sun. If you look at a very tiny amount of time later the Earth will have moved a small distance in that direction (i.e. 90 degrees to the sun). The sun's gravitational force will have acted on the earth though, changing the angle the earth is travelling at (i.e. bringing the angle back to 90 degress at its new position). The earth is now moving at 90 degrees to the sun, and you can repeat the previous steps.

That make sense? If not:
1. Draw a dot (this is the sun).
2. Draw another dot a bit away from it (this is the earth).
3. Now draw a faint line between the two dots.
4. Now draw a line 5cm long at 90 degrees to the faint line. The end of this line is the new position of the earth.
5. Now repeat step 3, with the faint line going to the new position of the earth, and repeat step 4.
6. Eventually you will get the whole way around in something vaguely like a circle. The smaller you make the line each time, the closer it will get to a circle. In real life it therefore smooths out to a circle, as the change in direction happens instantly.

Answer 3

The earth has speed that makes it want to go in a different direction than straight towars the sun. The speed was present at the earths formation and it will never slow down or lose its speed in space. Moving objects in space continue moving forever unless acted upon by a force. The suns gravity nudges the earth, pulls it in, so we have an elliptical or somewhat elliptical orbit. So as the earth's speed makes it want to go one way the suns gravity tugs on it and we have the orbit we have. Also remember that the sun too is moving through space along the spiral arm of the galaxy and is not completely stationary either.

Answer 4

The gravitational force of the sun on the Earth is centripetal, not centrifugal force.

We are not pulled into the sun because we orbit the sun at just the right speed such that we move away from the surface of the sun before we can actually fall any closer (remeber the sun is spheroid in shape). But we do fall, which is why we travel in a circular type orbit rather then just continue in a straight line.

Answer 5

Centifugal and centripetal forces are two of the most important forces determining the set of events in a system which indulges rotational motion.

Normally the celestial bodies which are found to revolve others follow a propotion where, the sum of the gravitational pull of revolved body, towards the revolving one and centripetal force is slightly lesser than the centrifugal force.

Centripetal force:
Force which pulls a revolving body towards the centre(It is not the gravity stuff).

Centrifugal force:
Force which pushes the revolving body away from the centre.

When centrifugal> (centripetal+gravity)
Body spirals out.
When centrifugal< (centripetal+gravity)
Body spirals in.

In your childhood you might have played with water in tub while bathing. One of those games would have been bringing about a spiral in the water. Though the spiral is affected by the graviy of earth, water level rises at the sides of the tub and a vortex is formed. The raised water continues to retain its height and does not fall in level immediately. Thats due to the centrifugal force.

Cenrifugal force and Centripetal force are powerd by inertia in preventing the fall of he body. Inertia sees to that the fall in water level and the spiraling in takes time, and the kinetic energy is used up fully in the meanwhile.

If still confused see a bike race. The rider will slant the bike on curves and still go on. Its the above mentioned forces that make it possible. Centrifugal force sees to that the bike does not fall. So is the case of planets. The maximum slant without falling is a function of g=9.8 and rotational speed of body.

In case of sun and planets it is a function of solar gravity, earths gravity, and all other gravity of stars, other planets which may have significant roles. The final result earth moves farther fro sun. So does moon from earth.

Answer 6

The Earth is moving around the Sun at just the right speed to counteract this pull of the sun's gravity.

Answer 7

Okay, Centrifugal force doesn't exist. It is merely an illusion of two forces acting in conjunction. One force is the force pulling the earth to the sun. The other is the Earth travelling in a straight line, which is tangent to the orbit of the Earth. One force attempts to pull the Earth to the Sun, while the other attempts to fling the earth away. If these forces can counteract each other, the Earth will fall into an orbit.

Answer 8

We are actually being pulled farther and farther away from it, just like the moon is being pulled farther and farther away from the earth. Try swinging a yo-yo (or something heavy at the end of a string) in a circle. It wants to go farther away from you. This same principle is involved in the earth's relationship with the sun.

The reason the sun will engulf us is because it will actually grow to become a red giant as it ages, not because gravity will pull us into it.

Answer 9

The Earth is being pulled towards the Sun (centripetal force), however as well as falling towards the sun (which we'll call vertical motion) it has horizontal motion so each time it falls towards the sun it moves sideways a bit as well. As the Sun is round we never actually hit it and just carry on falling round it in a circle(well very close to one). The orbit is changing slightly but not fast enough to worry about.

Answer 10

Because the sun's gravity is less than 1 here but our body weight is up to 1 & above