Where are the rest of the 3 days are going if the earth is revolving around its own axis in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds?

Question

Earth revolves around its own axis in approximately 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. If we measure the length of a day by 24 hours we hour saving 180+56=234 seconds a day. In a year that is 234 * 365 = 85, 410 seconds. In 4 years that is 341,640 seconds. Now a say has 86400 seconds, so we are the end of 4 year we have 341,640/86400 = 3.95 days. But we add 1 day to February after 4 years. Why is this?

In: 2

Answer 1

Let’s say you start on the earth pointed directly at the sun. After 23 hrs 56mins and 4 secs the earth turns a full 360 degrees but it’s also orbiting the Sun at the same time. As a result the location of the sun relative to the earth has changed and the earth needs to turn a little extra for you to be pointing directly at the sun again.