eli5: If every frame of reference is valid, why do people say the earth spins around the sun instead of the opposite, wouldn’t both views be equally valid?
In: Physics
Both points of view are equally valid in terms of yes, we can make the the numbers work. By extension you could create a model of the entire observable universe within an Earth-centric model.
The problem from a physics point of view is that there really isn’t anything special about the Earth in the universe, other than the fact that we’re here. If I wanted to understand the physics of a binary star system on the far side of the galaxy, using Earth as the basis of the mathematics would be cumbersome at best. The same problem exists within our own Solar System, if I wanted to understand the orbits of asteroids or planets, using Earth as the basis of math would be an unnecessary complication when the Sun is the gravitation heart of those equations.
By analogy, it would be like stores displaying the cost for products in CFA Francs in Oklahoma. I would have to convert my dollars to Francs and the shop keeper would have to do the reverse math, all when we live in a purely dollar economy otherwise, it’s a purely arbitrary and ridiculously artificial process that can be fraught with errors at every step, and has absolutely no benefit for anyone involved, so why do it?
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