How fast does the Earth spin at the equator ?

Question

Does it spin slower on the northern and southern latitudes ?

Answer 1

Yes the Earth spins at a lower speed as you approach the north or South Pole. It moves at maximum speed when you stand at the equator. The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24,900 miles. The Earth rotates around its axis of rotation which is tilted 23.5 degrees from the line that connect the north and the south poles together making one complete rotation every 24 hours. If you calculate the speed near the equator, you have to divide the circumference of earth at the equator by the time it makes one revolution: That is 24,900 miles divided by 24 hours which sums up to equal almost 1037 miles an hour. The speed of Earth at the arctic circles which is about 66.7 degrees above the equator for the North Pole or 66.7 degrees below the equator for the South Pole is much less than the speed of the earth at the equator because at that location the circumference of Earth is much less than the circumference at the equator. The speed of Earth slows down more and more as you travel above the equator, or below the equator until you stand right at the North Pole or South Pole; the speed then is equal zero. Now if you stand at the North Pole, while the Earth spins around itself, you will only change direction of your face; the speed of Earth at the North Pole or at the South Pole is always equal zero. You only make one spin every day when you stand at the north or south poles without moving. Only the direction of your face changes as the Earth rotates around itself and you make a whole spin at those two locations without moving every day. During the summer time, if you stand at the North Pole, you will see the Sun travels at 23.5 degrees above the horizon all during the day and remains at the same distance from the horizon on June 21. It will take the sun three whole months to start setting below the horizon. On September 21, the sun will be positioned exactly at the horizon, and as time progresses, the sun sinks below the horizon and disappear not to show up again until during the next vernal equinox on March 21.

Answer 2

The linear velocity at the Equator is 1035 Miles per hour.
The velocities at locations north or south of the Equartor would be less, both depending on the respective latitudes. The farther away from the Equator, the slower the velocity.
This is not a linear relationship because latitude variations near the Equator do not change the diameter of rotation as much as latitude variations approaching the poles.

Answer 3

The earth is spinning at the same speed everywhere. What you are looking for is the linear velocity at the equator.

By this i mean the rate of spin is always one rotation per day no matter where you are on earth.

we know the earth spins at a rate of 1 rotation/24 hours. The distance a point on on the equator travels in day will be the circumference of the earth at the equator. since speed is distance over time, the answer is goign to be the circumference of the earth divided by 24 hours.

Answer 4

One turn in 24 hours.
Approximately 900 knots, 1042 mph, 1667 km/h.
Call that V(0) (speed at the equator = latitude 0)

Speed at latitude L = V(L) = V(0)*Cos(L)

So at latitude 60 (North or South), the speed V(60) = 0.5*V(0) = 833.3 km/h
At 90 (the pole) V(90) = 0 You just 'spin' around at one turn in 24 hours.

(Actually, in 23h56m in relation to distant stars; the Earth will have moved almost one degree along its orbit in one day, so it needs another 4 minutes for the Sun to come back over the same longitude).

Circumference = 40,000 km
On turn = 23h56m = 23.933333

V(0) = 40,000 / 23.933 = 1671 km/h

you can get even more precise values by looking up 'sidereal day' on wikipedia

Answer 5

Spins versus what - the fixed stars (sidereal day) or the same position of the sun in the sky a day later (tropical day)?

1)Get the Earth's equatorial circumference (WGS 84),
2) Calculate circumference at any given latitude,
3) Decide on the length of the day, and
4) work out the surface velocity of one revolution/day.

The angular velocity is independent of latitude.

Answer 6

IT does spin slower on the north and south pols but the earth is 12800 km around so it rotates once every 24 hour so it spins at 148.148m/s or 331.398mph

Answer 7

the earth doesn't spin faster at the equator but its hotter at the equator then in the north and the south.

Answer 8

about 1040 MPH.

Answer 9

really really fast.