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Name: Jordan
Status: student
Age: 9
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999 - 2000
Question:
How does Earth maintain its speed of rotation? Why don't it slow down?

Replies
This was our 4th grade question of the week. I think it has to do with "relativity" or it will stay in motion until something acts against it.

The earth is actually slowly slowing down every year and due to this the Earth day is getting longer. However the amount is very small and was found when the solar year was compared to the atomic clocks that we have developed.

Tieman

You're right; it will maintain the same motion until something acts against it. No need to drag relativity into the problem.

We could slow it down, you know. If everybody on Earth would run Eastward, the Earth would slow down just the slightest bit. Of course it would speed back up again as we stopped walking.

Tim Mooney


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