why can't we feel the earth spinning?

Answer 1

The Earth is actually spinning really fast (contrary to the information given in other answers). The reason we don't feel it spinning comes down the Theory of Relativity (yep, Einstein). Put simply, we don't feel the motion of the Earth because the Earth is not accelerating. Think about being in a car. You "feel" the motion of a car when you are speeding up (accelerating) or slowing down (decelerating). When you are travelling at a constant speed, you don't "feel" like you are moving. Likewise, something dropped in a car moving at constant speed doesn't move backwards, it falls straight down just (it's motion "relative" to the car is the same as if the car was stationary). The same applies to the Earth: the planet is whizzing through space really fast, and spinning really fast, but because it isn't slowing down or speeding up, we don't "feel" it.

Answer 2

we are not spinning fast, contrary to what xy_213 says. Think about it, when you are on an amusement ride, you spin 360 degrees several times a minute. The earth takes 86,400 minutes to spin 360degrees once. Also, the theory of general relativity is not what is keeping us on the earth, because we are experiencing *some*(albeit a very small amount) of centripetal acceleration. Think about xy_213's car example. If you have ever driven on windy roads at around 30mph, you have probably noticed that you are "sucked" to the outside of sharp turns, even though you are not accelerating in a straight line. However, you never notice this when going 70mph on the freeway because, even though you are traveling twice as fast, the turns are so much more gradual that it the centripetal acceleration is almost negligible. It does not matter how fast the car is moving, it matters how fast it is TURNING.

If you want to see how this works, take a bucket and put some water in it, then tie a rope to it. try swinging it around as slowly as possible without water spilling out If you increase the length of the string, you still have to spin the bucket around the same number of degrees per second, even though the bucket is now moving "faster"

Answer 3

When your airliner reaches altitude, and it settles down to cruise speed, and if there is no turbulence, you don't feel you are travelling at 500-600 mph. So, why would you feel the Earth's motion?

For all intents and purposes, from minute to minute, you are travelling in a straight line. On a fairground ride, though you are travelling much slower, you are changing direction at a vast rate.

You only feel speed when accelerating or decelerating. When turning sharply, your forward speed is constantly being arrested, which is the same thing as constant deceleration. Since the Earth only turns once in 24 hours, this force is absolutely minimal.

Also, bear in mind that when you are cruising in an airliner, at constant altitude, you are really following the curve of the Earth.

Think 3-D

Answer 4

It spins too slow for our sense's and Earth's gravitation plays a part in counter balancing thrust from the spin

Answer 5

The Earth's gravitational forces pull you toward the Earth's core right? So since we are being held to the Earth's surface while it rotates, we rotate with it. And since the Earth rotates at such a slow speed, we don't even realize that were moving.

Answer 6

Because we are spinning with it; also we have lived all our lives with it; prehaps if aliens (from a non spinning planet) came down we would quickly find the contents of their stomachs appearing.

Answer 7

as we are part of the earth and we are in the same frame as that of earth.We we are to see its movement then we have to go to some other place other than the earth.As we are in Moving bus closed from all sides,we are just seeing others and objects in the bus.Nothing changes its position although bus is moving,turning ect.

Answer 8

you can feel the earth spinning if you jumpup and down

Answer 9

I feel something spinning right now....I think I better go lay down.....

Answer 10

Because we are on the surface, are used to it, and have no frame of reference.