2006-08-31 00:05:18 · 10 answers · asked by Ah Boi 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Two things may help explain it. When a skater does a spin, she (he) can increase the spin rate by pulling in her arms because momentum is conserved. If you spin a top it would spin forever were it not for friction (of the air and contact point). Therefore if the earth had a slight spin when formed as a mass of hot gas, the planet would spin faster and faster as the gas condensed into solid matter taking up far less space. The planet would continue to spin at about the same speed because there is nil friction in space. Because the initial cloud of hot gas was orbiting about the sun there is little reason to believe that it had absolutely no spin of its own which would be only one case out of many possibilities (considering speed and direction of spin).
2006-08-31 00:54:02 · answer #1 · answered by Kes 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
our planet was formed by gas and dust clumping together in an accretion disk. over time, this clump turned into our planet. at the time, it was already spinning. conservation of rotational momentum keep it spinning. it's also possible that the earth was hit with something large that caused it so begin to spin.
2006-08-31 07:12:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I feel the earth move, under the ground.... It is still spinning.. oh.., never thought my kick was so powerful... one kick and it spins non stop...
2006-08-31 09:12:42 · answer #3 · answered by monokye 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rotational pull in accordance with the sun.
2006-08-31 07:11:52 · answer #4 · answered by torreyc73 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two words: Rotational inertia.
Three more words: Conservation of energy.
Doug
2006-08-31 07:08:51 · answer #5 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same voice which said let there be light and there was light.
2006-08-31 09:29:51 · answer #6 · answered by roy 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the first shot coming from the bigbang
2006-08-31 07:13:50 · answer #7 · answered by leitmotif 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
thats only a myth, the earth is flat i tell yous! flat!
2006-08-31 07:09:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
the sun
2006-08-31 07:08:40 · answer #9 · answered by dannyriegal 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
here you go:
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=329
2006-08-31 07:18:30 · answer #10 · answered by grim_garcia 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋