Why doesn't Earth fall...?

Answer 1

Hey
This is a great question g o l d e e :

Earth dosen't fall because it is in the orbit . Even I fthe earth is so heavy it dosen't fall because It balances so perfectly.

Answer 2

In a nutshell the gravitational attraction between the earth and the sun vs the speed we are traveling around the sun is in balance. We are going just fast enough not to fall towards the sun or run away and leave the solar system (or hit something else throwing us onto a nother trajectory).

This is the same as a satelite travelling around the earth, as they slow down they fall to earth, that is why there are retrorockets attached to these devices that adjust the speed or altitude. Sometimes humans go mess with them too!

Answer 3

The earth is falling towards the sun all the time. The reason it doesn't get closer to the sun is that it has a velocity perpendicular to the sun's gravity, so as it falls it also moves forward in its orbit and falls *around* the sun.

This describes orbital motion in general. Astronauts in the space shuttle are not in a "zero-gravity" field - they are falling around the earth at exactly the same rate as the shuttle to make it seem that way. If you were unlucky enough to be in an elevator whose cable broke and both of you fell to earth, it would seem as if you were weightless for those last few seconds of your life.

Answer 4

G'day Goldee,

I guess you mean "Why doesn't the Earth fall into the Sun?" or "Why doesn't the Earth fall away from the Sun?"

We swoop just fast enough around the Sun to have it's gravity negated by our speed of turn (momentum) "Top of the Wheel"

The reason we don't "drop down" like a roulette ball is because we always have enough speed to keep us at the top of the wheel.

Well that's how I understand it anyway.

Good Luck

Rod From OZ

Answer 5

The earth IS constantly falling. This is called revolution around the sun. It doesn't spiral into the sun because it (the earth) is at orbital velocity.

You should know that in space, only objects like stars, planets, etc have gravity. Empty space doesn't. We fall on the earth due to earth's gravity.

Answer 6

Actually, it is falling. It's called "free fall," and it's what all orbiting objects do. It falls toward the sun at the same rate that the surface of the sun curves away from the earth.

Answer 7

For anything to fall there must be some force to attract it . nothing could fall if ther is no force to it in any direction.The human brain is conditioned by the environment it is living in. we are living in a closed atmosphere , that we do not relize. We are mainly acted upon by the force of gravity which keeps the balanket of air over the surface of air from escaping the surface of the earth. if the force of attrction of gravity does not keep the air blanket on the surface of the earth , we shall not be able to breath and no life would have developed on earth. We are just like he fishes in the ocean always withng the ocean of air and totally dependent on it. since the froce of gravity draws everything towards it , anythig and everything that we throw up in the air comes back tothe surface of the earth . since we are used to this closed atmospher totally controlled by the force of gravity , our experience make us feel that nothing can remain in equillibrium without support and that anythng that does not have support would fall down and that what is below our feet is always something down.facts are really different . Nothing needs any support to remain in any position in space unless it is acted upon by some other force . the fact that the solar system remains suspended in space is somnething funny and strange to the human mind that is used to the conditions obtaining on the earth.That is why it thinks that it should be strange for the celestial bodies to be in a suspended stage and at motion around some other body withou falling into it .or down to somewhere . the distance between the sun and the earth is enormous. Masses of mater have the character of attraction and they attract other masses .so all masses mutually attract one another .The intenesity of this attraction is directly proportional to the increase in the mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distances between the bodies . The distance between the Sun and the earth being enormous and the size (volume ) of the sun being millions of times greater than the earth , the force of attraction of the sun is is strong enough to hold the earth in its orbit . Any body in motion moves always in a straight line in the direction of its intitial thrust . The earth moving in a straight line at the tangent at an enormouos distance from the earth is acted upon by the force of attraction of the Sun , that draws it towards itself .the motion of the earth is affected in such a way by its own motion and the attraction of the sun that it moves along the direction of the resultant force . This resultant force sends the earth in a n orbit around the sun and not towards the center of the sun . so the earth does not fall into the sun but goes around it due tothe force of attraction of the sun and the centrifugal foirce of the earth's movement . No body needs any support to remain in a stable condition anywhere unless it is acted upon by some other force .or othere forces .If the earth were somewhre in the distant space free from the orce of attraction of any body , it would remain suspended in its position for ever or be moving in the direction if its intitial thrust if it had any , for eternity as spcae being nothing has no boundaries .A thing that is "NOTHING " can hav eno shape and no boundaries . The only reason for space being infinity is its character of being "NOTHING"( A nothing that is a thing )

Answer 8

Things dosen't fall on Earth because of the gravitational pull of the Earth which attract things towards it.

Answer 9

Because the pull of the sun to the earth keeps it in its elliptical path as its revolve on its own axis
its like theres a string attach to the earth from the sun

Answer 10

while the earth is rotating round the sun, it is also rotating on its axis. this keeps the earth in the solar system and give us days and nights. while all this is happening, our solar system is also travelling at the rate of 67000 miles/hr. so when the entire galaxy is churning at this rate, we keep our distance secure with all stars and other galaxies. when and if the earth slows down from its speed of 67000 mph, we on earth;s surface will be thrown into orbit and will be floating. thank god for that. when u read reports that the earth is "slowing down" it means it is slowing downon its axis.

as for your question, "why doesn't earth fall" fall where?