What Would Happen If the Earth Stopped Spinning?

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   Katelyn Weelposted 13 years ago

   I was thinking today, what would happen if the Earth just suddenly stopped spinning? I don't know much about physics but I'm curious to hear what you guys think..
   
   Would gravity be affected, causing us to fall off? What would happen to the weather? The oceans? TIME?

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   starme77posted 13 years ago

   um I dunno maybe we would fall off

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      AdsenseStrategiesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Fly off

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   goldenpathposted 13 years ago

   Curious and interesting thought.  I am not a physics major myself but the first concern to my mind is the magnetic field.  This would collapse, in my opinion, and would virtually shut down all flight and probably leave all electronics and HP mute.  That's probably far fetched but it's a thought.  I guess the proper thing to do is observe those objects out there that do not spin.  I believe Mercury is one and even the Moon.  From my last research Mercury has extreme differences from the dark side from the lit side.

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      Katelyn Weelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Wow I thought all planets spun... thats insane! my world just turned upside down... I think I'm taking a sudden interest in cosmology

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   lyricsingrayposted 13 years ago

   we could all get stoned for free!!!!!!!!

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      starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ha nice

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   Katelyn Weelposted 13 years ago

   I do know it would affect weather.. in my study of meteorology I learned that all weather is caused by movement of air, which is in turn caused by the spinning of the earth. So that would really throw things off balance.
   
   We would either have no weather or insane weather... or maybe really crazy weather for a while and then eventually all air would stop moving.. ?

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   lyricsingrayposted 13 years ago

   Katelyn, I like your avatar

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      Katelyn Weelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      LOL thanks, Lyrics.. its my fish, Trooper

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      Jeffrey Nealposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Every time I see yours it's changed. They are all good, though!

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   Jeffrey Nealposted 13 years ago

   The most obvious effect would be that the light side would get very warm and the dark side very cold.
   
   I doubt gravity would be affected since that is more a function of the earth's size than rotation.
   
   Based on something I saw awhile back that showed how the rotation causes earth to bulge in the middle along the equator, I'll bet that no spin would probably have some pretty cataclysmic geological effects.

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      Katelyn Weelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I wonder if its possible, or what could make happen...
      
      and what would happen to time if the earth started spinning the opposite direction? All our time zones would be mixed up
      
      WHY am I so full of these questions today??

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         goldenpathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I really didn't have the best day at work today so, please, don't scare me.  I'd really like to NOT re-live today.

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   mega1posted 13 years ago

   we would fall off the earth into the great void of space where we would cease to breath and die and be forever preserved floating weightlessly through space !  or not.

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   love my yorkiesposted 13 years ago

   Maybe I wouldn't be so dizzy!!! 

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    Denno66posted 13 years ago

    Um, 1000 mile- an- hour winds to start....

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    fatfistposted 13 years ago

    If it just stopped suddenly without deccelerating, we would all fly off, including houses, buildings, water....due to our tendency to keep moving. But after taking a huge flight in the air, most if not all would fall back to Earth again (need some calculations here). Night and day would be 365 days, instead of 24 hours. The weather would go nuts!

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    goldenpathposted 13 years ago

    Reaching back in memory (a few years) it seems that I learned that the Earth's spin aids in keeping it in it's proper orbit.  If so than to stop spinning would probably push us farther from the sun instilling a much colder pattern.  I guess...  Who knows, perhaps we would be, truly, kissing cousins with Mars!

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    Denno66posted 13 years ago

    Not to mention what would happen to the moon.

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       AdsenseStrategiesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Space 1999

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          Denno66posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I liked that show...

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    Mishaposted 13 years ago

    All idiots will be thrown into the space, and we finally will solve global warming problem

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       shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       well... every cloud has a silver lining!

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       goldenpathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Still new and not sure how to post all the little smiley faces but your comment is classic!  : )

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    Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years ago

    It would be blamed on Obama.

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       AdsenseStrategiesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       

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       habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       It would be Bush's fault!!

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          Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          And his "Mission Accomplished" banner would then be accurate.

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          Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I made Brunswick stew today for lunch.

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          Katelyn Weelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          LOL its true!

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             AdsenseStrategiesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             No, come on now, it would obviously be the fault of
             Bill-Clinton  / Ronald-Reagan (strike out as appropriate)

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    shazwellynposted 13 years ago

    devistation and destruction... end of days!  Death within minutes!

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       Denno66posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Dogs and cats living together!

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          Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Mass hysteria!

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             Denno66posted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Lenny!

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                shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                the cats and dogs living together is more scarey!  Meoooooooooooow!

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          Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Don't they already do that in some households?

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             shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             EXACTLY!  Say no more!!

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    awareposted 13 years ago

    its slowing as we speak. wind power and tidal generators .sound like a great idea . but when you harness the momentum of planet functions you run the risk of adversely altering the delicate rate of earth revolution

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    brimancandyposted 13 years ago

    Wow. I think the rotation of the earth has a lot to do with the life on it. The changing of the seasons, The constant variations in temperature with daytime and night-time heating, or cooling. But, for it to just come to an abrupt stop. I don't think anything would happen intially, we might not even notice. But, if it did not start rotating again, the long term results would be pretty horrific.
    
    First, I think there would be a lot of panic. As in, why is it still daytime in New York City 5 days in a row! People on the dark side of the earth would probably freak out even more!
    
    Then there is the weather, and the oceans would probably flood a good portion of low lying areas. But, the earth is so large, there may just be a shifting of the oceans, certainly tidal waves would occur, but, I think it would subside.
    
    This is just a really interesting question...and a scary one!
    Like what if a giant meteor hit Manhattan! Yikes!

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       Katelyn Weelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Sounds like a great apocalypse movie.. i love those! Anyone see 2012?

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    sabrebIadeposted 13 years ago

    Wouldn't everything on the planet that's not nailed down go West at like 1000 mph if the Earth just stopped?
    At least that's what I recall from reading Alpha Flight...

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