Does Earth's Rotation Create Gravity?

[Bill E]

In Elementary School, many years ago, we where taught Earths gravity is created because our planet rotates. And if the rotation stopped, we would have no gravity. My present understanding is gravity comes from an objects mass. It seems rotation would be a result of gravity, not the creator of gravity.

 

[Andrew Mason]

In Elementary School, many years ago, we where taught Earths gravity is created because our planet rotates. And if the rotation stopped, we would have no gravity. My present understanding is gravity comes from an objects mass.

If you were taught that, it is very unfortunate. It is quite wrong. I can't imagine a teacher in the last century actually thinking gravity was caused by rotation. Is it possible that it was just a misunderstanding on your part?

It seems rotation would be a result of gravity, not the creator of gravity.

The rotation of the Earth is not the result of Earth's gravity. There is no general requirement that a mass the size of the Earth must rotate at all.

But, in a way, gravity (of the sun and the solar system) did cause the Earth's' rotation. The rotation of the Earth is the result of the way the Earth was created, probably from a moving cloud of matter from a supernova that got captured by the sun's gravity. The angular momentum of that original cloud is conserved in the angular momentum of the planets and their moons.

AM

 

[Bill E]

It could be a misunderstanding, but a coworker who is 13 years younger than myself remembers being taught the same thing.
Thank you for the clarification.