Why don't we feel the movements of the earth?

Answer 1

Um, we do. Earthquakes?

Answer 2

Because although the surface of the earth is moving at about a thousand miles an hour, the air near it is moving at the same speed. We can't really detect speed, except by comparison. That's why the other train moving can feel like your train is going backwards, until you realise there's no vibration (movements in alternating directions, so you can compare one with the previous one).

If you could jump high enough, you would notice the 'coriolis effect'. This causes a 'drift' away from the direction of rotation, as you get further from the object that you are rotating with.

Satellites in a 'polar' orbit pass over a different part of the planet each time they cross the equator, although they are just going round in a circle. This is because they are far enough from the surface to be unaffected by its movement.

Spacecraft are launched from places near the equator, and in an easterly direction, in order to use the 1000 mph speed of the surface for extra lift.

Answer 3

Do you mean the motion of the earth on it's orbit, and/or it's rotation? (As someone above says - we certainly do feel earth movements!)

It is just because compared to us the Earth is very, very massive! And the distances involved are very large, so there are no local points of reference.

If you were inside a sealed railway carriage that was well sprung and lubricated, running on smooth level track, you would have no way of knowing if you are moving or not. We can no inherently sense motion, only change in motion, like acceleration or deceleration. The earth's motion is more or less constant.

Answer 4

If you mean the movement of the earth in its orbit around the sun or in its rotation, we don't feel those movements because we are moving with it. Think of being on a train that is travelling along at an even 60 mph on the track. If you don't look out the window you don't really feel this motion because you are moving right along with the train. If the train speeds up or slows down however, you feel that. The earth doesn't accelerate or slow down it moves at a constant speed.

Answer 5

Partly because we are held on Earth by gravity, and partly because the motion is totally smooth, with no bumps and only very gradual turns. For example, the Earth is rotating all the time, but it takes 24 hours to go once around. If you were on a merry-go-round that took 24 hours to gone once around, you wouldn't feel that either. Of course Earth is much bigger so you are moving at hundreds of miler per hour, but because the circle we are going around is 25,000 miles around, the curvature of our path is not much and we don't feel the small centrifugal force or get dizzy. And because there are no rough wheels or bumps or turbulent air passing is as we move, we don't feel any shaking either.

Answer 6

We acclimate or normalize.

You can prove this was an elevator or car. A few seconds after you get into motion you no longer preceive you are moving until it slows to a stop.

If you are in a bus moving on a smooth road at a steady fixed speed you can walk from front to back with no problems.

Answer 7

Earthquakes.

Answer 8

Generally because the earth is moving very slowly...but we all do when there is a tremor.

Answer 9

Because we are moving too?