Question

Why do we not feel the movement of the earth?

Answer 1

Hint: The rotation of the planet Earth around its own axis is known as its rotation or spin. The Earth rotates in a prograde motion eastward. Earth rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the north pole star Polaris.

Complete answer:
Per 24-hour day, the Earth rotates on its axis once. The speed of Earth's rotation at the equator is around 1,000 miles per hour. Every day of our lives, the day-night cycle has taken us around in a grand circle under the stars, but we have never felt the Earth spin. It is because we, along with everything else on the planet, including the oceans and atmosphere, rotate at the same constant speed as the Earth.

Consider the following scenario. There would be no problem if we were drinking coffee in a moving car or plane. However, whether the car or plane accelerates or decelerates, our coffee sloshes and possibly spills. We cannot see the Earth move as long as it spins steadily.

Similarly, Earth moves at a constant speed, and we all move with it, which is why we do not notice Earth's spin. We would certainly notice if the Earth's rotation unexpectedly speeds up or slowed down.

Thus we don't feel Earth rotating on its axis because Earth spins steadily – and moves at a constant rate in orbit around the sun – carrying you as a passenger right along with it.

Note: Our forefathers were perplexed by the cosmos' true existence due to the Earth's constant spin. They found that the stars, as well as the sun and moon, seemed to move about above the Earth. They logically interpreted this finding to mean that Earth was stationary and “the heavens” moved above us because they could not feel Earth move.