If we all ran fast enough at once, in the opposite direction to the earths spin, could we stop it?

Question

What a bunch of miseries on here tonight, humourless the lot of you! I'm off to bed.

Answer 1

Yes. And you can calculate just how fast we'd all have to run. It'll work best if we all stand somewhere on the equator for the experiment. All you have to do is get 6 billion people to run eastward fast enough to generate an amount of angular momentum that matches the earth's. The theory of conservation of angular momentum says that this will stop the earth. The relevant equation is:

v = L / (MR)

Where:
v = running speed;
L = earth's angular momentum (about 5.8 × 10^34 kg·m²/s.);
M = mass of humanity (2.27 × 10^11 kg, according to Wikipedia)
R = radius of earth (about 6378100 meters)

Plugging all those numbers in, we get:

v = 4×10^16 m/s, or about 9 thousand trillion miles per hour.

Faster than the speed of light.

Which means, the truth is, you'd have to adjust the equation to account for the effects of relativity. But in any case, the answer is going to come out to be a large fraction of the speed of light. Better get some good running shoes.

Answer 2

No evidence of any form that the Earth has spun interior the alternative direction from its modern spin. regardless of if, many study have been finished on the forces and momentum of the collision of a planetesimal (Theia) with the forming Earth 4 billion years in the past that created the moon. those study recommend that the suggested effects could ultimate be complete if the Earth somewhat circled interior the alternative direction on the time of the collision. It replaced into the stress of the collision that replaced the Earth's rotation (if the laptop simulations are best). possibly i do no longer understand your question - plainly such as you have faith the rotation of the Earth is controlled no longer rapidly with the aid of the spinning of the indoors middle. that may not the case - the indoors middle does not administration the Earth's rotation. Re: your comments on "the indoors middle does not end spinning, it may turn" isn't accessible - the regulations of kinetics and physics does not enable a "turn" of the indoors middle. If the middle flipped, the torque and tensions could tear the Earth aside.

Answer 3

Like an elephant at the circus on walking on a ball?

It might be worth a shot, but count me out mate, i don't walk anywhere never mind run!

Answer 4

well technically you could if there were enough people running fast enough, but there is no way that, even if every person on the earth did it, we could stop the earth from spinning

Answer 5

haha!! Good question!! That would be a sight!!, actually what would happen if the earth stopped turning?? I'll have to ask that one later!!

Answer 6

No i mean just think about it for a second. and anyway we wouldn't even be pushing the earth just running on its surface

Answer 7

Did anyone ever knock some common sense into you?

Answer 8

i love your thinking, start a potition on face book!

Answer 9

not a prayer

Answer 10

i think we can