Stop the world, I'm getting dizzy

[tribdog]

Okay if everyone in the world started walking east at the same time would that be enough to stop the world from spinning, at least until they stopped walking? If we all had parachutes to use to stop would we be able to keep the world stopped?

[tiny-tim]

Okay if everyone in the world started walking east at the same time would that be enough to stop the world from spinning, at least until they stopped walking? If we all had parachutes to use to stop would we be able to keep the world stopped?

Angular momentum would be conserved …

so what is the angular momentum of the Earth, and what would be the angular momentum of 6 billion people of average mass at say 1 metre/second walking round the equator? :smile:

[signerror]

Angular momentum would be conserved …

so what is the angular momentum of the Earth, and what would be the angular momentum of 6 billion people of average mass at say 1 metre/second walking round the equator? :smile:

7 \times 10^{33} m^2 kg/s

calc (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=2%2F5+*+mass+of+earth+*+radius+of+earth^2+*+(2*p i)+%2F+24+hours&fp=aaV-kzfDWBk)

2 \times 10^{18} m^2 kg/s

calc (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=6+billion+*+50+kg+*+radius+of+earth^2+*+1+m%2Fs+ %2F+(radius+of+earth)&fp=aaV-kzfDWBk)

[TheStatutoryApe]

Wouldn't this be similar to the airplane on a treadmill problem? Save that people really are stuck on the tread mill.