Thinkers??????

Question

If two train tracks were parallel to one another and the two trains were going in opposite directions one complete time around the Earth, starting at the same point, at the same speed, one going in the direction that the Earth turns and one going against, would one get back to the starting point before the other?
Also would the speed of the trains matter if they were both doing 2mph or 100mph? Or if the Earth was spinning at 100mph?

Answer 1

The trains will still reach the starting point at the same time, assuming no loss of speeds due to any factor.

The tracks (and the staring point) move with the rotation of the earth. The train moving in the direction of the earth's rotation (as seen from a "stationary" point in space) moves faster because youadd the rotaion of the earth. but will have to travel farther due to the same effect.

The other train will experience the opposite effects, traveling slower but for a shorter distance. The total effect, the trains get to the starting point at the same time (the addition/subtraction of distances and speeds cancel each other out)

If we look at the scenario here on earth, both trains still move at the same speed. Since they will travel the same distance, they should take the same amout of time to get back to the starting point. So they still arrive at the same time. Eart's rotation and the speeds of the trains will not matter.

Answer 2

if both train tracks were equal length and both trains traveled at the same speed they would reach the starting point at the same time. being that the earth does actually rotate, the train traveling in the direction of the earth's rotation would reach the starting point first, but only if the train did more MPH than the train traveling in the opposite direction, and faster than or equal to the earth's rotation. Assuming of course that the earth's rotation speed was faster than the train traveling in the opposite direction

Answer 3

What you ask is very similar to this other scenario:

A walks, on a train moving al 100 Km/h, starting at one vagon's edge in the same direction of the train and B walks at opposite direction starting at the same time and begining from the other edge.

With A and B walking at same velocity (absolute value).

Would the train velocity has an effect on the time A reach the opposite site or B does? NO

Would A, B velocitity has an effect on weather they reach the opposite site before the other? NO

Answer 4

When you stand inside a moving train, you are said to be at rest in comparison to the train.
Now let's say you start walking inside the train with a velocity V by applying an effort E with your legs.
Now the train stops. Do you think that you will now have to apply a greater/lesser effort to walk with a velocity V.

Similarly it doesn't matter how fast the earth is spinning, things will still remain the same.

Answer 5

No, they would both get there at the same time, provided they were both moving at the same speed with relation to the ground. The speed wouldn't matter, either.

If you want to get really technical, the train going the same direction as the Earth might use a little less fuel, because it will be experiencing VERY SLIGHTLY less gravity, due to its added angular velocity. But as long as they are both going the same speed, they will arrive at the same time.

Answer 6

If one train was riding the equator and the other train was on a parallel track a significant distance away(north or south), then yes, one would get back to the starting point sooner than the other.

Answer 7

If we assume there is no slippage between the wheels and the track, then the Earth’s rotation would NOT factor into the velocity calculations; thus they would both travel the same distance in the same time.