Is the earth falling or floating in space?

Question

What is the proper term?

Answer 1

Neither. It is rotating on its axis, and revolving in its orbit around the Sun. "Falling" implies moving downward in a gravitational field, and "floating" implies being in some sort of buoyant medium, and neither applies to the Earth.

Answer 2

To be able to point out if the Earth is falling or floating in space, we must first define what is to fall and what is to float.

Surely, falling is an effect when gravity pulls the object towards it, wherein the end action of such object is landing on another mass. The earth, as pulled by the sun's gravity, is orbiting around it in agreement to both of the masses' gravitational pulls. Therefore, the earth is falling orbitally onto the sun, but on a rather stable manner.
By this, the earth falling in space couldn't possibly be supported. Perhaps, the sun, bringing with it the attracted heavenly bodies and the 8 planets is falling unto the center of the Milky Ways extreme gravity. =)

Answer 3

We all know Newton's Law which states that all objects in motion will continue in that state of motion unless acted upon by some external force. So, this establishes that the earth is in motion and stays in that state. The force acting upon it is gravity [the weakest of the four fundamental forces in the universe].Also, it is traveling in a perfectly straight line.
Now, on to Einstein. Einstein showed that massive objects warp or curve space. Imagine a bowling ball being rolled into the center of a trampoline. It will cause trampoline to warp. [Keep in mind this is a 2D representation of what happens in 3D space.] Take a marble and roll it into the warp caused by the bowling ball. It will orbit the bowling ball eventually slowing down and colliding with it. This is what the earth is doing. It is going in a straight line through curved space, slowly "falling" into the Sun. The earth's orbital velocity compensates for the falling so that we don't zip right to it and burn up. Before this does happen, though, the Sun is going to use up all of it hydrogen fuel and collapse some to being helium fusion and turn into a red giant vaporizing Mercury, Venus and earth. The earth will never get a chance to fall into the Sun, the Sun is going to come out and get the earth first.

Answer 4

In a sense both are correct.

The earth is technically falling in space, since it is effected by the gravity of the sun, and by the gravity of other objects in space.

However, the earth's movement in space around the sun provides an additional (centrifugal) force that keeps it from falling into the sun.

The resulting balance of forces is known as "equilibrium". This gives the impression, from our perspective, that the earth is just floating in space.

We are always moving in a defined path around the sun in that equilibrium. That path is called is a "orbit".

Answer 5

The gravity of the Sun is pulling the Earth toward it. Technically, the Earth is falling toward the sun. The Earth's velocity is the only thing keeping it in orbit and from crashing into the sun.

If the Earth were "floating", it would be heading in a generally strait line away from the sun. Remember Newton's Law, "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to remain in that motion unless acted upon by external forces"? The Earth is being acted upon by an external force great enough to keep changing its heading but not strong enough to send it crashing into the sun.

Answer 6

DavidB is correct. The Earth is in a perpetual state of freefall around the Sun. This is a special form of freefall where the speed of the Earth makes it miss the Sun forever just as it is falling forever. This is called an orbit, but it's more like falling than like floating.

Answer 7

The earth is constantly orbiting the sun and in a way "floating" around it. All everything in the universe is moving, so in realty they really can't be "floating" or falling.
The proper term would be "orbiting".

Answer 8

We have heard from the best, now lets get it from the rest:

if you drew a plane through the center of the galaxy (milkyway of course with all those spiral things), the question remains, is the earth falling or floating relative to the plane of the spirals?

Great food for thought, mate.

Answer 9

The earth is floating in space and the earth orbits the star we called the Sun.And that is because of gravity.

Answer 10

Orbiting the sun and Floating in space...