How fast would the Earth have to spin in order for us to feel it?

Answer 1

Giddyness when revolving is a function of angular speed. The earth turns very slowly in an angular sense.

If you were on a kiddies playground roundabout that turned once in 24 hours, would you feel giddy? Sleepy, yes.

The earth waould have to turn once in several seconds for you to have the same feeling as when you get sick doing pirouettes. If it went that fast, it would throw all its material into space, because the equator would be moving at many thousands of miles per second, a considerable fraction of light speed.

Answer 2

The radius of the Earth = 6,400 km = 4,000 miles, so at the equator the Earth is 2×pi×r =25,000 miles around.

The earth rotates once around on its axis every 24 hours*, so the velocity at the equator is about 25,000 miles/24 hour, just over 1000 miles/hour.

At higher latitudes the Earth's circumference perpendicular to the rotation axis is smaller, so the velocity is lower.

*Factoid for the day: Actually the rotation period of the Earth is 23.94 hours, a bit shorter than 24 hours -- 24 hours is the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same place in the sky. This is determined by the Earth's orbit around the Sun as well as the the Earth's rotation about its own axis. (In the course of 24 hours, the Earth travels around the Sun just a little. That movement changes the apparent positions of the stars relative to the Sun in the sky.)

Answer 3

At the equator, the surface of the Earth is moving at about 1700m/s. We don't feel or notice this motion as we (and the Earth's atmosphere) are moving at the same speed.

We only notice motion that is relative to us. for example. on a smooth aeroplane ride, the passenger next to you will appear to be stationary. A person on the ground will see the passenger (and the aeroplane) moving very quickly.

Answer 4

Depends on what you mean by "feel". If you mean to sense by instrumentation, its present rotational speed is quite adequate; consider Foucault's pendulum. A faster rotation would decrease the apparent force of gravity at the equator, but unless the decrease were substantial, you might not notice it. Hal Clement wrote a nice SF novel called "Mission of Gravity" exploring this idea.

Answer 5

Have you ever put a rag in a bucket of water and spinned around and noticed the rag moved so fast it looked as if wasn't moving? Well that's how we rotate.

Answer 6

You would not feel the increase unless it happened all at once...

FYI.....

You are traveling at 4 different speeds depending on your view point.

If I just steeped off our planet and watch you zing by you will be going about 1,100 MPH..

If I was outside the solar system and watched you orbit the sun you are going 67,000 MPH

If I watch your solar system plow through the Milky Way Galaxy you will be going 590,000 MPH

As your Galaxy flashed by me in the universe you would be going about 670,000 MPH.

(all speeds approximated)

Answer 7

Isn't the gravity a result of our spinning? So when we are not floating around then we are feeling it, right?

Answer 8

Alot faster tar for 2 points

Answer 9

im just guessing but i think about 100000000000000000 km per hour.its already spinning at somthing like 1000000 km per hour

Answer 10

In order for us standing here to feel it, it would have to change in speed... the actual speed doesn't matter. Acceleration is what you actually feel.