[Some Kind of Blue]

I've always wondered this. So... Suit yourself...?

I don't really think clouds move much but if the Earth rotates but to us it looks still then I could understand THAT. I just don't get why the clouds don't get an updraft from the Earth rotating and scoot back every so often. Or even break from the force. Why is it that to us we feel like we're on flat ground but we can't tell we're on the edge of a spherical planet, barely being held onto by some gravity? And if our bodies should be used to the rotation after a while but what of the earth changes directions? Then what? Would we all die? Would the clouds stop "moving?" and disintegrate and then disrupt the ozone layer and we'd all die? I'm scared :O What if we all die?

 

[MyDarkAngel]

Are you being serious? Firstly, that was very difficult to follow. Secondly, the Earth rotates at a very slow rate.

 

[2eng]

I've always wondered this. So... Suit yourself...?

I don't really think clouds move much but if the Earth rotates but to us it looks still then I could understand THAT. I just don't get why the clouds don't get an updraft from the Earth rotating and scoot back every so often. Or even break from the force. Why is it that to us we feel like we're on flat ground but we can't tell we're on the edge of a spherical planet, barely being held onto by some gravity? And if our bodies should be used to the rotation after a while but what of the earth changes directions? Then what? Would we all die? Would the clouds stop "moving?" and disintegrate and then disrupt the ozone layer and we'd all die? I'm scared :O What if we all die?

Don't worry,the end of the world isn't until December of this year.Live it up for the next 8 months!

 

[2eng]

And if you want a real answer I can give that too. :wink:

 

[Some Kind of Blue]

Are you being serious? Firstly, that was very difficult to follow. Secondly, the Earth rotates at a very slow rate.

Oh yes. I'm dead serious. /SRS BSNS

And yes, this is just an Ne rant basically... XD I want to know though! My brain itches...

 

[Alpengeist19]

It's called a reference frame. We don't feel the earth spinning or revolving around the sun or the galaxy moving or any of that. From when we were conceived, we have stayed in that same reference frame, so it seems normal to us. If the world were to stop spinning, we would most definitely feel the effects because we would all go flying at hundreds or miles per hour lol. But that would never happen unless we were hit by an enormous meteor, in which case there's nothing we would be able to do. Haha don't worry about things like that.

That is, unless someone has been planning something to do this...

not me of course...

 

[Some Kind of Blue]

And if you want a real answer I can give that too. :wink:

Okay, lol Sorry it was hard to follow... I had a Ne moment

 

[2eng]

Okay, lol Sorry it was hard to follow... I had a Ne moment

Its Ok, no worries... The real answer is to paint and dance your way out of it but whatever you do don't clean or organize anything this sound about right?

And BTW I get what you're asking, but to answer here without a physics lesson and some Einstein theories (which can be mind boggling) would be difficult. The clouds float because they are lighter than air, and they can be subject to the changes in the earths atmosphere. As far as the Earth changing rotation,that's a different story.We would all be screwed. Ponder this though, the magnetic poles of the Earth do flip every couple million years.

 

[Blocklos]

I love a science question!

The clouds do move independent of the Earth's rotation. General movement of clouds and weather patterns is to due heat, which gives energy to the cloud formation, and atmospheric pressure. Think about giant mountain ranges made of gas (or in the case of clouds, gaseous water). They keep changing and interacting and moving. Earth's spinning plays a big part, but there's more to it.

The gases are held to the Earth by gravity. That's why they don't scoot away. They would have to move much faster to break away from Earth's gravity.

Things SEEM flat because we are so small compared to the overall globe. We are tiny tiny tiny. We aren't barely being held on by gravity. The Earth would have to spin much faster to break us away from gravity.

If something suddenly stopped the Earth from moving, it would have to be something big and fast that hit us in the right direction. If the Earth were to suddenly stop, we would all go flying at 1,040 miles per hour (That would snap all our brain stems and we would die instantly). I doubt that would be enough to send us out of Earth's gravity.

The clouds move separate from the spinning of the Earth. Earth's spin plays a big part, but it's not the whole picture. But they would change if the Earth spun in the opposite direction.

You can see from the picture that the wind and clouds move both with and against Earth's spin. So there is more than just the Earth spinning that determines clouds and weather.

(You can tell all these non-N-dominants to stand aside. I understood your question just fine)

 

[hoom]

Secondly, the Earth rotates at a very slow rate.

No, it actually rotates quite quickly.



@Smileygirl, As for answering your questions... gravity would prevent clouds from heading off into space. The rotation of the earth shouldn't move the clouds, wind does this. Those were the two questions I remember from above...... high school physics answers a lot of this.

 

[MyDarkAngel]

No, it actually rotates quite quickly.



@Smileygirl, As for answering your questions... gravity would prevent clouds from heading off into space. The rotation of the earth shouldn't move the clouds, wind does this. Those were the two questions I remember from above...... high school physics answers a lot of this.

I suppose that "quickly" is a relative term specific to the user.

 

[Agent Blackout]

I've always wondered this. So... Suit yourself...?

I don't really think clouds move much but if the Earth rotates but to us it looks still then I could understand THAT. I just don't get why the clouds don't get an updraft from the Earth rotating and scoot back every so often. Or even break from the force. Why is it that to us we feel like we're on flat ground but we can't tell we're on the edge of a spherical planet, barely being held onto by some gravity? And if our bodies should be used to the rotation after a while but what of the earth changes directions? Then what? Would we all die? Would the clouds stop "moving?" and disintegrate and then disrupt the ozone layer and we'd all die? I'm scared :O What if we all die?

- Clouds do move, but within the system we consider the atmosphere.
- A lot of things happen to clouds besides updrafts... hence, weather patterns. Things like to be in equilibrium.
- The curvature of the Earth is not great enough for us to distinguish in a small localized environment if it's flat or not.
- However, if you look at the ocean you'll realize you can't see the end of it. This is because of the curvature.
- We don't feel gravity/rotation because all forces are in equilibrium.
- If the Earth changes direction, what happens to humans depends on a lot of things. I would imagine, although I can't be for certain since I'm no expert, that if the rate of change of directions/forces were of reasonable magnintude, humans bodies could survive the change. Meaning, if the forces weren't great enough that our bodies go flying, but skimming along the ground only 40-50 mph, I think we'd be fine (Talking about inertia.)
- If clouds stop moving, or if the Earth switches direction or whatever, ... no matter what happens everything will want to adjust itself... and humans being alive may or may not necessarily be a part of the equations, lol
- What happens on Earth after these that may kill every one. Who knows?

Hope that helps! Haha

 

[Owfin]

(You can tell all these non-N-dominants to stand aside. I understood your question just fine)

Hey!

I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable person about weather, but I do know about your rotating-but-I-feel-still one. Think of when you are sitting in a car, reading a book (presumably not driving!). The car is moving a 60 mph. Since you are in the car, you are also moving 60mph. If you throw a beanbag, the beans don't stay put while the sack flies off! In the same way, you move at 60 mph along with the car. Now, when you hold the book in front of your face, do you see it speeding away at 60mph? No!

According to an online calculator, 60 mph is equal to 88 feet per second. So every second, the car moves 88 feet forward. You move 88 feet forward along with the car, as we have seen before. Your seat will be 88 feet ahead in a moment, but you will be too. Therefore you don't notice any movement.

Likewise with the earth. You, standing on the Earth, are moving right along with it.

 

[Blocklos]

According to an online calculator, 60 mph is equal to 88 feet per second. So every second, the car moves 88 feet forward. You move 88 feet forward along with the car, as we have seen before. Your seat will be 88 feet ahead in a moment, but you will be too. Therefore you don't notice any movement.

Except you do. Because your inner ear is designed to notice such movements. It's why people sometimes can't read and ride in a car or look out the side window for long periods. Inner ear data isn't matching visual data. Inner ear issues = balance issues = nausea issues.

 

[Owfin]

Except you do. Because your inner ear is designed to notice such movements. It's why people sometimes can't read and ride in a car or look out the side window for long periods. Inner ear data isn't matching visual data. Inner ear issues = balance issues = nausea issues.

I was starting to type that up but for some reason I decided I didn't need to put that there.

 

[Matt Cork]

Don't worry,the end of the world isn't until December of this year.Live it up for the next 8 months!

The Mayan calender didn't have leap years and our calender does. The "2012 Doomsday" should have happened hundreds of years ago according to the Mayans.

Short answer to OP, we are so small and insignificant on this planet that it's like an ant in a mansion. The Earth rotates pretty fast actually and we don't notice because it's always traveling that fast. If it stopped and went the other way we'd all fly towards whatever way it was turning when it stopped and die. We. Are. Nothing.

 

[2eng]

The Earth actually rotates at approx. 1041.67 mph at the equator. Obviously the closer to the poles you get the slower the Earth is rotating.

 

[Airy]

Hey!

Think of when you are sitting in a car, reading a book (presumably not driving!). The car is moving a 60 mph. Since you are in the car, you are also moving 60mph. If you throw a beanbag, the beans don't stay put while the sack flies off! In the same way, you move at 60 mph along with the car. Now, when you hold the book in front of your face, do you see it speeding away at 60mph? No!

According to an online calculator, 60 mph is equal to 88 feet per second. So every second, the car moves 88 feet forward. You move 88 feet forward along with the car, as we have seen before. Your seat will be 88 feet ahead in a moment, but you will be too. Therefore you don't notice any movement.

Until you crash and inertia sends that book flying back at you on it's second collision (you would most definitely feel it moving then!) :laughing:

 

[E_N_T_P]

I've always wondered this. So... Suit yourself...?

I don't really think clouds move much but if the Earth rotates but to us it looks still then I could understand THAT. I just don't get why the clouds don't get an updraft from the Earth rotating and scoot back every so often. Or even break from the force. Why is it that to us we feel like we're on flat ground but we can't tell we're on the edge of a spherical planet, barely being held onto by some gravity? And if our bodies should be used to the rotation after a while but what of the earth changes directions? Then what? Would we all die? Would the clouds stop "moving?" and disintegrate and then disrupt the ozone layer and we'd all die? I'm scared :O What if we all die?

Ha, you're having ENTP moments: visual-spatial-thinking stuff. I bet it comes to you in blinks like the fat guy in your sig. What do you wanna be when you grow up?

 

[The King Of Dreams]

The Earth rotates at about 1100 mph so @hoom is correct.