2007-03-27 22:16:49 · 5 answers · asked by Shyamani d/o Rajamurthy S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Gravity
2007-03-27 22:22:32 · answer #1 · answered by skcs11 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth is moving, because once something is moving, it doesn't stop unless a force is applied opposite to its direction of movement. There is no force acting opposite to the earth's direction of motion. There is a force acting at right angles to its direction- the gravity of the sun. This means that instead of going in a straight line, it is pulled sideways.
Look at it like this: If you throw a stone in a straight line, parallel to the ground, it curves down towards the ground, until it hits it. If you throw it faster, it curves down more gradually, and covers more horizontal distance. If you throw it so hard that it falls in a curve which is longer than width of the earth, then it will never hit the surface, because the surface curves away under it as it's falling. This is the principle by which things end up in orbit.
2007-03-28 00:05:57 · answer #2 · answered by Ian I 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Inertia. The Earth orbits because there is nothing to stop it.
Gravity of the Sun causes the fabric of spacetime to distort, and the earth follows as straight as possible path through this distorted space. The straight as possible path turns out to be a close to circular ellipse.
2007-03-28 00:39:29 · answer #3 · answered by Holden 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The gravitational force between the sun and the Earth.
All the planets are kept in their orbits by gravitational forces.
2007-03-27 22:21:09 · answer #4 · answered by Doctor Q 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The gravatational pull from the sun, it keeps us constantly going around it, thats why the closer a planet is the faster because the pull is stronger.
2007-03-27 22:24:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋