How long would it take to stop the rotation of the Earth?

In summary, a person who moves at the equator in the opposite direction of the Earth's spin would not be able to stop the rotation of the Earth.
  • #1
Vodkacannon
40
0
Imagine a person is moving at the equator in the direction opposite of the Earth's spin. How long would it take them to stop the rotation of the Earth?

Assume:

the person's "weight" = 90.718 kg,

they person's speed = 1m/s,

The Earth's "weight" = 5.972*10^24 kg,

the angular velocity of the Earth = 7.292*10^-7 rad/s,

The radius of the Earth = 6.371*10^6 m,

and the inertia of the Earth = 8*10^37 kgm^2
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Vodkacannon said:
Imagine a person is moving at the equator in the direction opposite of the Earth's spin. How long would it take them to stop the rotation of the Earth?
Such a person won't stop the rotation of the Earth at all. The angular momentum of the Earth is conserved. The Earth can only lose angular momentum by interacting with another object and transfering the angular momentum to it. Obviously this person can take only a tiny bit of the Earth's angular momentum without flying up into space (or burning up in the atmosphere).
While the person is walking around the equator at constant speed, his or her angular momentum doesn't change at all, and neither does the angular momentum of the Earth.
 
  • Like
Likes Monsterboy, russ_watters, 256bits and 1 other person
  • #3
Wouldn’t the person also have to be moving in the same direction the Earth is spinning? That way as he walked he would be pushing the opposite direction the Earth is turning.
 
  • Like
Likes Monsterboy, davenn, jbriggs444 and 1 other person
  • #4
Fig Neutron said:
Wouldn’t the person also have to be moving in the same direction the Earth is spinning? That way as he walked he would be pushing the opposite direction the Earth is turning.
The direction doesn't matter. If you walk with a constant speed, you won't push the earth, and it won't push you. Any friction force needed to move forward will be canceled by the effects of air resistance. There's no way to change the angular momentum of the Earth without an external force.
Of course the moon can do it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_acceleration
 
  • #5
There would only be a torque slowing the Earth while you are accelerating. You would have to go faster and faster until your angular momentum was the same as the Earth had originally. Then the Earth would be stationary while you "run" exceptionally fast.

How fast? Well way before you are going fast enough the centripetal force required to stay in contact with the ground would exceed the force of gravity and you would lift off the ground.

Ok so to fix that you could build some sort of track around the equator to attach yourself to and provide the necessary centripetal force to hold you down.

I haven't done the sums but I suspect you would still have to go exceptionally fast. Probably faster than the speed of light - which is impossible.

Edit: There would be a bunch of other problems.
 
Last edited:
  • #6
CWatters said:
Probably faster than the speed of light - which is impossible.
Certainly fast enough that momentum and angular momentum are no longer linear functions of velocity and asymptotically increase without bound as the speed of light is approached. Fast enough that the track not only has to be inverted, but evacuated. Fast enough that the runner's energy would dramatically exceed the original rotational energy of the Earth. Fast enough that the centrifugal stress on the track would exceed any reasonable material strength. Fast enough that the centrifugal force in the rotation rate of the runner's body in its orbit around the Earth would tear him limb from limb (though he'd hardly notice, being jellified into the track surface first).
 
  • Like
Likes CWatters and Bystander
  • #7
So just a few minor details to solve :-)
 

1. How long would it take to stop the rotation of the Earth?

It is currently impossible to stop the rotation of the Earth. The Earth's rotation is caused by its angular momentum, which is a result of its mass and rotation speed. This momentum would require an immense amount of energy to be stopped completely.

2. Can human activities affect the rotation of the Earth?

No, human activities do not have enough impact to stop the rotation of the Earth. While some actions, such as building large dams, can slightly alter the Earth's rotation, it is not significant enough to stop it.

3. What if an asteroid hit the Earth, could it stop its rotation?

An asteroid of sufficient size and impact could potentially disrupt the Earth's rotation, but it is unlikely to stop it completely. The Earth's rotation is a result of its massive size and inertia, which would be difficult to completely disrupt.

4. How long would it take for the Earth's rotation to slow down?

The Earth's rotation is currently slowing down at a rate of about 0.00002 seconds per year. At this rate, it would take millions of years for the Earth's rotation to significantly slow down. However, other factors such as tidal forces and the moon's gravity can also affect the Earth's rotation speed.

5. Is the Earth's rotation speed constant?

No, the Earth's rotation speed is not constant. It varies slightly due to factors such as atmospheric drag, tectonic plate movements, and changes in the Earth's core. However, these variations are very small and do not significantly affect the overall rotation speed of the Earth.

Similar threads

Replies
15
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
979
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
857
Back
Top