2006-09-21 08:40:18 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Because we are moving with the earth. It's the same reason as why when you are in an elevator you only notice your motion when you just start moving or are stopping. During the interim you don't notice your direction of motion, unless you jump. Similar to riding in a car. You and the car are both moving at the same speed. Only when the car changes speed or direction do you feel as if you want to keep going in the opposite direction - when it slows you learch forward, when it turns left you lean right - this is inertia. We are in an equalized state of inertia with the earth and it's orbit around the sun. That is why we don't feel the orbit. If the earth were to sudenly go in a different direction, then we would feel our inertia pulling us toward the sun.
2006-09-21 08:45:58 · answer #1 · answered by ohmneo 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
We'' to sort of do.
The season are caused by the orbit of the Earth around the sun so indirectly you do feel the movement.
But I suspect that the answer you are looking for is that you are travelling at the same speed and with the same direction as the sun. As far as you are concerned the you and the earth are stationary and the sun is moving.
Classical Newtonian physics...
2006-09-22 07:29:16 · answer #2 · answered by Mark G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some really crap answers so far to this question!
First question, and most important one: Do you notice the Earth pulling you down? The Earth rotates, and you are constantly being pulled towards the centre due to this (it is called centripetal force, but I'm not going to explain that here and now), and we feel this as gravity. Do you feel gravity the whole time? Of course you don't, as you are used to it. Being somewhere without gravity would feel weird, as you would not be used to it.
The Earth orbiting the sun is also due to a centripetal force, pulling us towards the sun. It is very small compared to the pull of gravity (you don't fly off into space do you?) and so it is hard to notice. Add to that that you don't notice things you are used to anyway, and you're never going to feel the pull of the sun on you.
2006-09-21 16:52:00 · answer #3 · answered by Steve-Bob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The changing seasons tell us we are in a different relationship to the sun - in the northern hemisphere winter is when the earth is nearest to the sun (perihelion) but the angle of the earth puts the arctic circle in shadow so the nights are longer - the southern hemisphere winter is actually colder as the earth is further away from the sun in July (aphelion) - this is how we can feel the earth orbiting the sun.
2006-09-21 16:02:21 · answer #4 · answered by Silver Birch 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Think about riding 60mph in a car. When you're travelling in a straight line, you can't tell you're going 60mph (well, at least if you've got your eyes closed and ears plugged). Because you don't feel any forces while you're going at a constant speed.
You might say, yeah, but the Earth's going in a curved line. True, but it's a very BIG curve. You could be sitting in a car going through a very long turn (say, one mile to turn 30 degrees) and not notice the very small force caused by the very slow turn.
If the Earth suddenly stopped moving, you'd rocket off the surface into space going 18 miles per second. THAT you'd notice!
2006-09-23 05:08:19 · answer #5 · answered by Luis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we're orbiting along with it. The centrifugal force of the entire Earth and us keeps us all out from the Sun and feeling like we're not being affected by the Sun's gravity. Just as, say, the crew of the International Space Station doesn't feel the Earth's gravity.
2006-09-21 15:43:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's a very small force in comparison with the Earths pull downwards. However the oceans do "feel" the pull of the sun and the moon. These forces manifest themselves as tides.
2006-09-21 15:49:03 · answer #7 · answered by Mike N 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
How could you feel this? What were you expecting to feel?
The earth goes around the sun, sun goes around the galaxy, galaxt moves relatives to other galaxies but none of this has anything to do with what you can 'feel'.
2006-09-21 16:24:51 · answer #8 · answered by m.paley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I only feel the Earth move when in bed. Funny thing is, it hasn't happenned for years.
I'm only answering this Q as I desparately need some cheap points :)
2006-09-21 15:53:33 · answer #9 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. For the same reason the astronauts don't feel themselves orbiting the Earth. They (and we) are in freefall.
2006-09-21 15:45:15 · answer #10 · answered by Cirric 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋