What if the Earth stopped spinning?

[T-MaN]

Hey all,

I've just recently finished my Uni. Physics unit on Gravity, Magnetism, and Light. There were a lot of crazy stuff there, and during the learning stages, I've come across a question that's been seriousy bothering me for a while now.

If the Earth suddenly stopped spinning, would we all just fly across the room, would we float around (seeing how some people say that gravity no longer has a play withouth the Earth's rotation), or would something else happen?

I say that we'd probably fly across seeing how the Earth abruptly stops and gives everything a "push" (including buildings and such).

So what are your opinions of this matter?

[GooeyToast]

Isn't the universe fascinating?

[The Anarchy Angel]

Very!

[Rye]

Well, if it stopped, day and night would be mixed up and the coriolisis (sp?) effect would not be effect, so yes it would be very odd. Almost as odd as me actually knowing something from Earth Science.

[Madame Adequate]

The short term effects are the tricky ones to figure out.

I have a suspicion that we would be flung across wherever we are with such force that pretty much every ended up dead. We are spinning at what, 7000mph or something?

However, assuming we survive that, we should consider what effect centrigufe has on us. Surely if the centrigufe was suddenly stopped, as it would be, we would have a far more powerful gravitational pull affecting us?

[udsuna]

Due to the pure size of the Earth, centrifical force is minute at best. We probably wouldn't be thrown, per se (and if the earth came to a dead, instant, stop... the crust would continue spinning for a short while on top of the magma in the mantle). Then, everything would die within a few weeks. Or, at least, everything on the surface of the planet.

The "dark side" would drop to below zero within a couple days, and continue dropping until about 150 below. The part in the sun would probably cut out at around 300 above (rough guesses, but about right). It'd get worse after life started dying, though.

Humans could probably buy themselves more time, at least until the food supply wore out. The line of twilight between day and night would be our only hope for survival. Unfortunately, a non-rotating earth still orbits, so the sun's position in the sky will also change in relation, so the "line" would be changing over time, too. Around one time zone per 15 days. (or, one degree per day, of the 360 on our sphere... not counting those extra 5 days a year and that troublesome leap year). The only place that we'd need not worry about that problem would be the poles. It'd be worst on the equator. And even the poles wouldn't be safe, due to the planets tilt.

Long story short: we go extinct in a few months. All complex life, except what we shelter, dies long before that. And the oceans might last for a while, so life their should be fine, at least for a while. However, gravity and centrifical force have no relation to one another. Centrifuges can *imitate* gravity, but the two are different universal behaviors.

[Rye]

Due to the pure size of the Earth, centrifical force is minute at best. We probably wouldn't be thrown, per se (and if the earth came to a dead, instant, stop... the crust would continue spinning for a short while on top of the magma in the mantle). Then, everything would die within a few weeks. Or, at least, everything on the surface of the planet.

The "dark side" would drop to below zero within a couple days, and continue dropping until about 150 below. The part in the sun would probably cut out at around 300 above (rough guesses, but about right). It'd get worse after life started dying, though.

Humans could probably buy themselves more time, at least until the food supply wore out. The line of twilight between day and night would be our only hope for survival. Unfortunately, a non-rotating earth still orbits, so the sun's position in the sky will also change in relation, so the "line" would be changing over time, too. Around one time zone per 15 days. (or, one degree per day, of the 360 on our sphere... not counting those extra 5 days a year and that troublesome leap year). The only place that we'd need not worry about that problem would be the poles. It'd be worst on the equator. And even the poles wouldn't be safe, due to the planets tilt.

Long story short: we go extinct in a few months. All complex life, except what we shelter, dies long before that. And the oceans might last for a while, so life their should be fine, at least for a while. However, gravity and centrifical force have no relation to one another. Centrifuges can *imitate* gravity, but the two are different universal behaviors.

Wow, we should learn about Science like that. About how we could die. I'd pass Earth Science easily that way. And well, if I had a good teacher. xD

[Lindy]

Lets imitate the Chronicles of Riddick and run the line between sunlight and darkness.

[Chris]

Night in America, night in China = if the world stopped spinning. :(

[Crazy the Clown]

Night in America, night in China = if the world stopped spinning. :(

It's all good. I like the night life. :)

[Madame Adequate]

Long story short: we go extinct in a few months. All complex life, except what we shelter, dies long before that. And the oceans might last for a while, so life their should be fine, at least for a while. However, gravity and centrifical force have no relation to one another. Centrifuges can *imitate* gravity, but the two are different universal behaviors.

Naw, I wasn't saying centrifuge and gravity compliment each other, but that they oppose each other when you're on the exterior of the spinny thing. However you're right, we're too small on too large an object for it to have any effect.

We'd end up all dead when The Twilight Zone was over the Pacific and Atlantic. Unless people survived at the poles. But in the end we'd run out of food... unless we're at the south pole and can make proper, rationed use of the fish around there. If we're lucky, and move around right, we might have a slight chance. At the outside. Long shot, but hell, Humanity's too stubbourn to just roll over and die because of a little thing like it being totally impossible to survive.

[Big D]

Wow, we should learn about Science like that. About how we could die. I'd pass Earth Science easily that way. And well, if I had a good teacher. xDIt's all in senior high school physics and biology:cool: The principles, anyway.

There's another possibility... if the Earth stopped rotating, it could end up kind of like our moon, with the same side facing its center of rotation constantly. One side always facing the sun, one constantly dark, like the planet Remus from Star Trek.

In this case, one side would be baked, the other frozen, with a temperate belt in the middle. But with no coriolis force, as Rye mentioned, serious problems would happen with the weather. Uncontrolled winds, and gusts from the east or west that'd be either searingly hot or bitingly cold.

Basically, we'd probably still all die anyway.

[udsuna]

Humanity's too stubbourn to just roll over and die because of a little thing like it being totally impossible to survive.

Actually, you're probably right.... human beings find a way to do everything else. Defying the odds is what we're good at. Although we still can't build underwater cities... when THAT happens, we stand a fighting chance.



There's another possibility... if the Earth stopped rotating, it could end up kind of like our moon, with the same side facing its center of rotation constantly

Nope... the reason the moon stays facing us the same way is because its "rotation" is the same rate as its "revolution". If those two are equal, you get the object always facing the same direction in relation to the other body. But a true, non-spinning, body sits with the same face in relation to the "absolute" universe. In fact, our moon actually spins *FASTER* than the earth does. It just orbits much faster around us than we do around the sun.

[-N-]

Watch The Core.

[boris no no]

i wonder if pie would taste different?

[Tidus1456]

udsuna what do u do download the entire internet into ur brain u frigin smart ass lol

[-N-]

lol udsuna srsly :p

[T-MaN]

I was just looking around some website about this, and this is what one site I found which had an interesting outlook of it all.

http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/ask/q1168.html

[Ko Ko]

We'd all float away. :|

[Madame Adequate]

Humanity's too stubbourn to just roll over and die because of a little thing like it being totally impossible to survive.

Actually, you're probably right.... human beings find a way to do everything else. Defying the odds is what we're good at. Although we still can't build underwater cities... when THAT happens, we stand a fighting chance.

I didn't think of that at all, but you're right. Even a land-based self-contained city would stand a chance, although it'd have to have excellent heat resistence. But as with most disasters, the best thing to do is colonise more than one planet. Even if Earth gets smacked up by a meteor/volcano/giant space pie, people on Mars could survive.



There's another possibility... if the Earth stopped rotating, it could end up kind of like our moon, with the same side facing its center of rotation constantly

Nope... the reason the moon stays facing us the same way is because its "rotation" is the same rate as its "revolution". If those two are equal, you get the object always facing the same direction in relation to the other body. But a true, non-spinning, body sits with the same face in relation to the "absolute" universe. In fact, our moon actually spins *FASTER* than the earth does. It just orbits much faster around us than we do around the sun.

Just to be excessively techincal for people who are not udsana, and to bolster my own ego, that is due to a process named 'tidal locking', and it is the case for many moons in our solar system with regards to their primaries (And, interestingly enough, it's also the case between Earth and Venus. This could be simple coinkidink, though.).

[Quina]

I probably wouldn't notice since it is so big.

[Mittopotahis]

I'd say we'd all go float around, since there is no gravity...and then die from something or other...like hunger or bordem or Sputnik...

[gokufusionss1]

the dark side would be fucked
The other side would also be fucked
We'd all be fucked
And people in Chad wouldn't have their extra 0.03 gravity

[Madame Adequate]

I'd say we'd all go float around, since there is no gravity...and then die from something or other...like hunger or bordem or Sputnik...

Erm... why would there be no gravity? Gravity is an inherent attractive power of everything, even from the computer in front of you. It's not rotating.

Maybe I missed something in physics class, but I'm pretty certain gravity isn't too much affected by spin.

Now get flung off, yes, that's entirely possible. Float away, less so. Unless someone has severely misinformed me.

[The Anarchy Angel]

If it gradually slowed, we'd feel nothing...however if it abruptly stopepd we'd fly at around 2000mph into the nearest object and be kille dinstantly, we'd never know

[SomethingBig]

One thing's for sure: bigfoot would NOT be making any more appearances. :(

[Yuffie514]

stop spinning, huh? please God, can the sunny side be in America?

[Spammerman]

like -N- said, watch the core. The would would turn into a giant fireball, thats after flocks of bird crash into every freakin thing and commit suicide like those birds in wyoming.and a whole bunch of ppl would drop dead, literally.

[Peegee]

lmao that movie again. I'd watch it but I value my intellect.

[Spammerman]

yea um me too, though it doesn't affect my lvl of intellect; very very very low.

[Polyonymous]

Well, due to newtons first law, (everything in motion will stay in motion) we would all be flung forward really fast and most likely hit a building or something. Assuming we didn't hit a building, the fall would kill us (that is if we don't fly into space).

But lets say we have some people in space, and they land on the earth after it stoped spinning. Life would be able to sustain itself on an earth that isn't rotating, it would just have to migrate with the rotation of the earth around the sun, staying in the zone between where it is getting the most sun and no sun at all. Lets also assume that these astronauts had some type of seeds that they can plant and grow, we will say they have carrot seeds cause everybody should eat carrots. If you plant them in a massive container one wheels, you would be able to take it with you as you travel. The terrain would probobly be pretty smooth due to the massive wave the ocean would make... *thinks* fish would be all over the ground too... you could survive off of fish for the first few days before it all rots. *thinks* The sun would most likely evaporate a lot of the ocean water due to the extended amount of contact it would have. That would result in massive amounts of clouds... which would cool the sunny side of the earth to an extent... I would assume the coulds would always stay on the sunny side of the earth seeing as how wind currents are caused by change in temperature. *thinks* If there is less water that means that there is a greater chance that all the continents are connected. Though lets hope not all the water is gone because a lot of the oxygen on earth comes from... stuff in the ocean... or something like that. Point is... it is extreamly possible that people could survive on earth, and they would eventually addapt and evolve to the new lifestyle. I've probobly over thought this whole situation though. lol

EDIT: Though if there is a massive amount of coulds, chances are not much sun will get through... therefore plants wouldn't be able to grow, and no animals would be alive... so, yeah... we would probobly die now that I think about it. :D

EDIT: But what about plants that grow underwater where there is no light, so I guess if you were to get some of those plants somehow, you would be able to eat that... maybe. My brain hurts.

[udsuna]

Those lifeforms in the deep ocean don't rely on normal organics. We couldn't eat them because their chemical structures wouldn't have digestable protiens. That's assuming they aren't actually poisonous to us.

The cloud/ocean theory is flawed by definition. The average temperature of the planet would NOT change due to the rotation stopping. (when everything dies, that'll change things, but we're not there yet). Oh, it'd kick up water vapor madstyle when the sun sits over an area... probably boil it, eventually... only to have it quickly rain down and freeze when night reaches that particular part of the world (as I already explained).

On the "cold side"... we'd see glacial formations quickly created, and then just as quickly thawed and vaporized in the heat of day. The one benefit of this process is an infinite supply of absolutely pure, fresh water. The distillation process of such an environment would create the cleanest H2O ever seen on this planet (and probably any other planet that has life on it).

This would also, presumably, create a layer of highly fertile soil... which will last until exposure to the sun bleaches out the nutrients and turns the land into desert. The ocean floor, where much of the ocean will evaporate, will become so salinated (salty) that nothing could live there, even when the water returns. Fertile soil would be gone from this planet in about 3 years (full day-to-night-to-day) cycles.

Now, if humanity could construct a vast amount of solar-powered hovercraft type devices (can't rely on wheels or tracks... we need air-lift-propulsion), we'd have some chance of holding the cycle. The ground would be quickly crushed, pulverised, and spread by the glacials, so the planet would be relatively smooth. Keep nutrition together, then humans and our crops could survive. The dirt could be replenished to form soil, if the right things are allowed to grow at the right stages.

Unfortunately, no matter how you slice it, the mass death and decay of organic matter will eliminate our planet's oxygen supply. I'm not entirely sure the chemical properties of water, but maybe the level of energy could cause water to break into its hydrogen and oxygen components. I'd doubt that, though, but maybe. Regardless, all would still eventually die due to the atmosphere's chemical transformations.



Oh, and yes, I have downloaded the internet into my brain. I have knowlege of all. Well, not all, but a lot... most of it's porn... but still, more than what I'd need to answer this speculation.