Revolution of Planets: Rotation & Revolving Around Stars

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the mechanisms behind planetary rotation on their axes and their revolution around stars. Participants explore concepts related to energy consumption, heat expulsion, and the effects of gravitational forces on these motions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how planets maintain their rotational and orbital motions, suggesting a need for clarification on energy dynamics.
  • One participant asserts that planets do not consume energy for their motion, stating that a planet in orbit maintains constant energy, with changes in kinetic and potential energy balancing each other.
  • Another participant emphasizes the absence of friction as a reason why planets do not slow down, arguing that gravity does not consume energy.
  • There is a challenge to the idea that energy consumption would lead to heat absorption, with a claim that expelling heat would contradict the nature of planetary motion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of energy in planetary motion, with some asserting no energy is consumed while others seek further explanation. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of energy dynamics on planetary motion.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully defined terms such as "energy consumption" or "heat expulsion," and there are unresolved assumptions about the nature of gravitational forces and their effects on motion.

saket agrawal
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How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ? Do the energy they consume for this continued motion gets expelled as heat ?
 
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saket agrawal said:
How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ?
Explain to yourself how they can not.
 
saket agrawal said:
How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ? Do the energy they consume for this continued motion gets expelled as heat ?
No energy is consumed for this. A planet in orbit has constant energy: its spin energy is constant, and its orbital kinetic energy changes by the opposite amount that its gravitational potential energy changes.

Also, if they were consuming energy (which they are not) then they would have to absorb heat (which they do not). Expelling heat would be exactly backwards.
 
Last edited:
There's no friction, so nothing slows down planets. Gravity do not "consume" any energy
 

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