Eli5: If the earth is spinning at 1000mph how come when we jump up in a straight line we don’t end up in a different place on the ground?
In: Earth Science
Think about throwing a ball. If you run when you throw the ball, the speed of you running is added to the speed of the throw. If you toss the ball up a few feet and catch it, it moved vertically. But if you walk and throw it up and catch it, it moved diagonally, but still, to your frame of reference, only moved vertically, yet the ball moved forward with your speed as it moved through the air out of and back into your hand.
Think about a car crash. You’re going 60. If your car went sudden stop, you’d still be going about 60 (through the windshield). Your body was moving 60 and yet, if you were to jump inside of the car, you wouldn’t feel it.
So as the earth spins, you spin at the same rate. When you jump, you’ve still got that speed.
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