2006-08-06 09:13:41 · 8 answers · asked by cool m 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The earth rotates because of the conservation of something called "angular momentum." Angular momentum is defined with respect to a point. Stuff seems to rotate around a point--even if it's going straight by, because the observer on the point has to change his angle to keep looking at the stuff.
The primordial solar system was a big cloud of stuff. The stuff began to stick together--first due to electrostatic interactions and later due to gravitational interactions (these took over as the clumps got bigger and closer to electrically neutral overall).
But with respect to the center of gravity of a given clump, the stuff had previously had some angular momentum. The overall angular momentum of all the stuff which made up the earth is still with us in the earth's rotation.
2006-08-06 09:38:03 · answer #1 · answered by Benjamin N 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Money makes the world go round.
2006-08-06 09:55:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being suspended by a great force, it spins on its own axis round the sun. while Rotation causes day & night, revolution of the earth causes year.
2006-08-06 09:32:19 · answer #3 · answered by Celestine N 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Inertia. In space there is no friction. Once moving or spining, it never stops. Gravitational attraction only affects the direction, not the speed.
2006-08-06 09:19:00 · answer #4 · answered by Richard B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
on it's axis, supported by it's gravitational field in relevance to the moon and sun
it spins on its axis, meanwhile moving in orbit around the sun, ~ 365.5 days in length
2006-08-06 09:19:26 · answer #5 · answered by Introverted White Waves 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there is nothing to stop it so it preserves its state of motion.
2006-08-06 17:44:11 · answer #6 · answered by meno25 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the gravity of the sun plays a big role in it!!!!!!
2006-08-06 09:23:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It just does.
2006-08-06 09:17:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋