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. xD

It's all in senior high school physics and biology 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 [evaile= i r teh nerd]Star Trek[/evaile].

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?