Why do planets spin and why don't they slow down and stop?

Answer 1

For an answer to your question you've got to go back about 4.5-billion years when our solar system of sun and planets was just starting to form within an immense cloud of interstellar gas and dust (..called a 'nebula'..) Just like rain clouds today, there was all kinds of movement going on inside that ancient nebula, and as our sun and planets formed they each "borrowed" some of that motion. Because of that ancient loan our Earth got, we rotate at about 1,000 mph at Earth's equator. Earth is slowing down though, by about 2.2 seconds every 100,000 years.

Answer 2

This is a question I ask my fellow engineers and scientists all the time. Their usual (and wholly unsatisfactory) answer is that a) It was spinning (no explanation of how it got spinning), and b) there is nothing to slow it down. They then throw in some physics terms like conservation of angular momentum and newton's second law, so try to throw the inquisitive off their scent. Do not be fobbed off! It is a good question, and one that deserves a good answer.

The simple answer is that the creative energy which is life, which created the planet, and all life upon it, including us, focussed the earth into being. But this creation is not complete, it is an ongoing process and we're all a part of it. So the attention of the source energy, the life force, which created the planets continues its attention on keeping it all in balance, stopping planets bumping into each other the sun coming up every day etc. We might be moving at thousands of miles per hour, but it's still pretty quiet here. In any physical system there is inherent resistance, so the earth travelling at that speed through space would certainly eventually slow down. I don't buy the explanations given by scientists. The measurements of how much the earth is slowing down by is well within the tolerance of the inaccuracy of the clocks they're using to measure it, i.e. it's not slowing down.

I like the comment about perpertual motion, and I agree that the earth is a perpetual motion machine, and that when we truly understand the relationships at play; rotation, magnetism, gravity and electricity, we will be able to harness the power which keeps the earth spinning in its orbit in perfect proximity to other planets, and then we will have our clean free energy source, and the oil can stay in the ground, and this ridiculous notion of CO2 destroying the planet can be put to rest for good.

Answer 3

There is no friction in the vacuum of space, so once started, they never slow down.

How did they start? The random motions of all the particles that clumped together to form the planets adds up the to present rotation. It is kind of like how a full bathtub will form a little whirlpool at the drain as it empties.

Answer 4

The planets spin because they formed by various debris coalescing under gravity, and that matter came together with some inherent spin (or "angular momentum").

They do slow down, but only gradually, because there isn't much to stop them. There is no friction with the vacuum in which they spin, and that's the thing which slows most spinning things on Earth - air resistance.

The only force slowing them down is tidal forces, the pull on them by the sun, their satellites, and other planets. That is a realtively weak force and would only have a significant effect over billions of years.

Answer 5

they have a spin, which replaced into commonplace billions of years in the past, approximately 5, i think of. initially, Earth replaced right into a dirt particle. Or, a chain or debris, somewhat. those might rotate with out delay, as they have been small in diameter. those finally clumped mutually, forming a miles better mass, which might have spun greater slowly. because of fact the planet collected mass, it slowed momentum, because it had to spin greater mass. because of fact the earth is constantly being acted upon via exterior forces, (eg meteors, countless debris in area, cosmic radiation, and so forth) it quite is slowing down. The earth won't in any respect cease rotating, the sunlight will probable explode via then, so now earth, no preventing of spin. The earth's day is getting longer via approximately 0.0002 of a 2d (Guinness e book of archives, checklist for Longest Day) commonplace, so, it quite is unable to be considered via human beings. (The selection may well be incorrect, it may desire to have yet another 0 in it) So, theoretically, Earth can finally cease spinning even though it is going to take some time, and could additionally nonetheless probable have some spin left in it. desire this solutions your question.

Answer 6

Before answering why don't they stop spinning let me write something else.

Planets, stars etc all these heavenly bodies/ sky bodies have to keep moving. There are 2 kinds of movements; 1) spinning around itself, 2) Revolving around another object. For example earth spinning around itself and earth revolving around sun.

I suppose both these movements are mandatory in the sky. I do not think any sky body can stay stationary in the sky. Most likely both above mentioned movements are mandatory; or at least 1 movement may be absolutely mandatory in my opinion. It is difficult to imagine how a planet or star etc remains stationary in the sky. I think movements are absolute requirement, it is not an option. I do not think any star or planet can remain stationary in the sky.

In other words a planet has to spin around itself. When it slows down or stops I suppose a near by bigger planet or the Star of that planet will pull this planet towards it and eventually the planet will get destroyed.

Now I am not sure whether a planet has to spin around itself or is it enough if it just revolves around it's star. If revolving around star is sufficient to remain alive for that planet in the sky then spinning around itself is not absolutely necessary. Means earth for example can stop spinning around itself and as long as it revolves around Sun then earth will remain alive. But other option where earth just spins around itself but doesn't revolve around Sun - I am not sure whether that can happen.

Anyway in my opinion both movements are absolutely necessary. Also scientists have so far not found a single object in the sky which remains stationary. I think it is absolutely necessary that each and every object moves so that it is not pulled by near by bigger object and get destroyed.

Now coming to the core of your question- what actually keeps a planet spinning ? - I think when they are formed they are already spinning and they continue to do that since there is no force to stop it. May be they slow down but when they become toooo slow in spinning then I think they get destroyed as discussed above. But what keeps them spinning is ? - they start with spinning and have no other option than continue to spin. And coming back to the significance of spinning - In my opinion spinning around itself gives some antigravity effect against the Star of that planet system so that the planet doesn't get pulled by the star's gravity power. Spinning may be a counter gravity measure for survival.

Answer 7

Conservation of momentum is a characteristic of the planets. In fact (from what we pretend to know), if the universe is expanding (http://www.a2dvoices.com/realitycheck/doppler/) then the planet spin or orbit speeds must slow down to account for conservation of momentum: http://www.a2dvoices.com/realitycheck/Coriolis/

Answer 8

No one knows WHY planets spin, except to say God created them that way.....the physics answer to why they don't slow down is because of a principle called "conservation of angular momentum".

IOW, a force is required to slow down a spinning object or it will continue to spin.
This is very similar to Newton's law which states that an object in motion in a staright line will continue in motion in a staright line until acted upon by an outside force.

Answer 9

They do slow down, thats why atomic clocks have to be adjusted as they dont

Answer 10

To spin in space is natural. There is no friction to there rotation.