GK: Earth Rotates At 1,600 kmph. How Does That Not Affect Your Location?
Earth's 1,600 km/h rotation doesn't make us land elsewhere after jumping because we move with it, per Newton's Law of Motion, explaining why we don't feel the speed
Earth stands out among all the planets in space as the sole celestial body known to harbour life. While our understanding of Earth is vast, certain mysteries continue to intrigue us. Numerous astronomical phenomena, though scientifically explained, remain difficult to grasp intuitively. Let’s delve into one such intriguing question.
Our planet is spherical and in a state of perpetual rotation, implying a constant shift in its position. Earth revolves both on its axis and around the Sun. This rotation is responsible for the cycle of day and night across the globe. This begs the question: if Earth is continuously spinning, why don’t we land in a different location after a simple jump?
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Why Don’t We Reach A Different Location Despite Earth’s Rotation?
On Physics Stack Exchange, a platform dedicated to answering scientific queries, a user posed this very question: given Earth’s constant rotation, why don’t we leap from one point and land elsewhere? It’s a valid point, especially considering Earth’s estimated rotational speed of 1,600 kilometres per hour, a speed that governs the distribution of day and night across the planet. So why don’t we find ourselves in different locations every 24 hours? The platform’s users offered diverse perspectives in response.
The answer is rather straightforward: as Earth spins at 1,600 kilometres per hour, we rotate along with it. This shared motion renders us oblivious to the immense speed and prevents any sensation of dizziness. Consequently, jumping up results in landing back at the same spot.
This phenomenon aligns with Newton’s Law of Motion, which states that an object in motion will maintain its velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
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