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20 Aug 08
I have heard that if our Earth were to stop rotating our atmosphere would dissapate into space. My conceptualization of the scenario; Gravity is caused by mass curving space-time... The Earth rotating about it axis, exerts a centrifugal force, which acts in opposition to gravitation......Why, would stopping the rotation of the Earth, negate the affect of gravity, when logically, at least to me.....it seems quite opposite?
Hope someone can explain this in layman terms, thanks...
Eric 😕🙂
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20 Aug 08
Originally posted by coquettehaha thanks...hope you are correct....... bacause I just gave my father an " I told you so"...😀 And he is not taking the news all that well😏
You have it about right. If the earth stopped rotating, the gases would lose some of their centrifugal force - about a 1000 miles per hour at the equator - and the gravitational attraction would increase.
The gases wouldn't dissipate into space. That person had it backwards.
20 Aug 08
Originally posted by PenguinLast I heard it was the biggest🙂
Presumably, that would be Jupiter.
--- Penguin.
Since it still has an impressive atmosphere after 4 billion years I think it safe to say it will have just as impressive one in another 4 billion years, maybe even surviving the coming red giant phase of the sun.
20 Aug 08
1 edit
Originally posted by sonhouseGravitation rules! The most dominant planet in the solar system gravitationally.
Last I heard it was the biggest🙂
Since it still has an impressive atmosphere after 4 billion years I think it safe to say it will have just as impressive one in another 4 billion years, maybe even surviving the coming red giant phase of the sun.
Next is Saturn, but in the same time it has the lowest density. It floats in water (!?) 🙂
21 Aug 08
Originally posted by joe shmoRotation of the earth causes the atmosphere to be thicker at the equator ... and thinner at the poles. Without the spin the atmosphere at the equator would be thinner.
I have heard that if our Earth were to stop rotating our atmosphere would dissapate into space. My conceptualization of the scenario; Gravity is caused by mass curving space-time... The Earth rotating about it axis, exerts a centrifugal force, which acts in opposition to gravitation......Why, would stopping the rotation of the Earth, negate the affect of g ...[text shortened]... it seems quite opposite?
Hope someone can explain this in layman terms, thanks...
Eric 😕🙂
21 Aug 08
1 edit
Originally posted by sonhouseGravity acts as centripetal force best when the center of the Earth is also close to the center of the circle of orbit. Air particles are basically orbitting the Earth when it and they spin.
splain that.
If an air particle were going around, say, one of the higher latitutes, gravity would have two compents; a centripetal one, and one that pulls the air particle toward the equator. Think about it.