heavy as it is, how does the earth stay afloat and in consistent rotation around the sun?

Question

please give me a scientific explanation rather than spiritual. i already know god made it that way, but he always works with
natural laws too.

Answer 1

The Earth isn't "afloat" on anything. Gravity is what keeps the Earth where it is. Space is a near-vacuum and the Earth is hurtling through it on its yearly path (orbit) around the sun.

The law of inertia states that bodies in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Since there is not any friction out there in space, Earth just keeps moving along. If it were not for the Sun's gravity, it would go in a straight line through space. However, the Sun's gravity bends the Earth's path towards the Sun.

The Earth's velocity is currently balanced with the Sun's gravitational attraction, which is what keeps its orbit stable. It's the same as satellites orbiting the Earth. In a very real sense, the Earth is falling towards the sun forever. Its speed makes it miss the sun forever as well, which is why we never fall in and get incinerated.

The reason that objects in low Earth orbit need adjustments is that they are low enough in altitude that they sometimes brush the upper atmosphere, which causes drag, which slows them down. (an unbalanced external force). This is counteracted with periodic firings of thrusters to correct for it. The Earth, however, is not skipping through any resistence, which is why it stays in orbit.

Answer 2

It's gravity and inertia. The earth would keep moving in a straight line due to inertia, but gravity pulls it towards the sun. The forward movement of the earth and the gravitational pull of the sun at this distance from the sun happen to be just right that the earth ends up bending around the sun in a circle instead of falling into it. The same principle applies for the moon or satelites around earth.

Answer 3

there is no gravity in space except for that exerted by bodies in it. the earth as well as the other planets are kept in rotation around the sun by centripetal force as they are trapped within the suns gravitational pull similar to how satelites are kept revolving planets and a stone strung on a string and spun around in a circular motion.
A force applied to an object resulting in movement will cause it to move in a straight line unless another force is applied to it changing its direction

Answer 4

Oh yes, God actually did create the Earth, etc. One has just as much right to that belief as another who does not.

Answer 5

Well God actually didn't make the Earth