Since the earth is spinning so fast, how do we not fly off?

Answer 1

Gravity, our atmosphere, and the fact that we're so small compared to Earth.

Answer 2

Because of the size involved, the large-scale behavior of the "solid" matter of the earth is that of a liquid, which takes on a minimum-energy equilibrium shape that results in the total (grav. + centripetal) acceleration vector being perpendicular to the surface at any point. (If it wasn't perpendicular, there would be flow until it became so.) This is the same phenomenon that shapes the paraboloid surface of a liquid in a rotating glass. Currently earth is a slightly vertically-compressed spheroid; i.e. a low-eccentricity ellipsoid. At an initial rotation rate just high enough to cause 0 g at the equator in its current shape, it would assume the shape of a very vertically-compressed spheroid. This would increase its moment of inertia and slow its rotation rate. There would still be poles, and g would be greater there while centripetal acceleration = 0. (Incidentally the initial velocity at the equator is the same as that of a zero-altitude satellite in circular orbit, about 7.9 km/s, not 250 km/s as another answerer thought, and the day is about 84 minutes long.) With a much higher initial rotation rate, mass would be lost but the final shape of earth would be a similar highly compressed spheroid. Mathematicians and physicists have studied the problem. The ref. is a presentation of some of their ideas. I don't know what you mean by a gravitational force potential difference. Yes, grav. force and centripetal force would vary with latitude over a much wider range than they do now, but because of the global perpendicularity of total acceleration at the surface, there would be no large-scale uphill/downhill effect, just as there isn't now.

Answer 3

Nothing flys off the earth because the gravitational attraction is greater than the centripital force generated by the spinning earth. If one were standing exactly on the north axis of the spinning earth there would be no centripital force at all and yet gravity keeps you from flying off into space.....there is your proof. Very good question.

Answer 4

If we were spinning a LOT faster, we would fly off. You actually do weigh a little less at the equator than you do at the poles. But the centripetal acceleration would need to be greater than 9.8 m/s^2 for us to fly off.

Answer 5

We don't spin off because of gravity. The center of the earth is so dense that it exerts a pressure on us, pulling us towards it, that we experience as the feeling of weight.

Answer 6

theres a carnival ride called gravitron, go on that once and its basically the same effect as the earth, and the only carnival ride i go on since it dont get me dizzy. its a big space ship lookin thing and spins really fast, but you cant tell because the ride is enclosed and you dont notice the spinning, same thing as the earth. by the way if ya ride that ride and get a cool carny that runs it. try and flip upside down once you feel the pull comin on. its fun

Answer 7

The earth spins at about 700 mph around the New York latitudes. It would have to spin about 17,000 mph to throw us off.

Answer 8

because even though it is spinnig fast gravity holds us in place so we cant feel it moving fast. Gravity is the attraction due to gravitation that the Earth or another astronomical object exerts on an object on or near its surface. so you are wondering how it works. Gravity works with two forces in nature that we experience every day: gravity and magnetism. You may have magnets on your refrigerator, and you know that a magnet will attract a refrigerator with a certain amount of force. The force depends on the strength of the magnet and the distance between the magnet and the metal. You also know that magnets have two poles -- north and south. Either pole will attract iron or steel equally well, north will attract south, and like poles will repel one another.

Gravity is the other common force. Newton was the first person to study it seriously, and he came up with the law of universal gravitation:

Each particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The standard formula for gravity is:

Gravitational force = (G * m1 * m2) / (d2)
where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects for which you are calculating the force, and d is the distance between the centers of gravity of the two masses.

G has the value of 6.67 x 10E-8 dyne * cm2/gm2. That means that if you put two 1-gram objects 1 centimeter apart from one another, they will attract each other with the force of 6.67 x 10E-8 dyne. A dyne is equal to about 0.001 gram weight, meaning that if you have a dyne of force available, it can lift 0.001 grams in Earth's gravitational field. So 6.67 x 10E-8 dyne is a miniscule force. When you deal with massive bodies like the Earth, however, which has a mass of 6E+24 kilograms (see this Question of the Day), it adds up to a rather powerful force. It is also interesting to think about the fact that every atom attracts every other atom in the universe in some small way!

Einstein later came along and redefined gravity, so there are now two models -- Newtonian and Einsteinian. Einsteinian gravitational theory has features that allow it to predict the motion of light around very massive objects and several other interesting phenomena. According to Encyclopedia Britannica:

The general theory of relativity addresses the problem of gravity and that of nonuniform, or accelerated, motion. In one of his famous thought-experiments, Einstein showed that it is not possible to distinguish between an inertial frame of reference in a gravitational field and an accelerated frame of reference. That is, an observer in a closed space capsule who found himself pressing down on his seat could not tell whether he and the capsule were at rest in a gravitational field, or whether he and the capsule were undergoing acceleration. From this principle of equivalence, Einstein moved to a geometric interpretation of gravitation. The presence of mass or concentrated energy causes a local curvature in the space-time continuum. This curvature is such that the inertial paths of bodies are no longer straight lines but some form of curved (orbital) path, and this acceleration is what is called gravitation.
If certain assumptions and simplifications are made, Einstein's equations handle Newtonian gravity as a subset.
The question of why atoms attract one another is still not understood. The goal is to combine gravity, electromagnetism and strong and weak nuclear forces into a single unified theory

Answer 9

Gravity are we fly away like a Dove

Answer 10

gravity holds us in place. without gravity earth would be impossible to live on or very difficult