i read somewhere that if the solar system got filled with oxygen, the planets would first stop spinning cuz of friction (that and then everything would fall onto the sun or smthng) but oxygen already exists on earth, so how is the earth still spinning?
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The friction between the solid Earth and the gaseous atmosphere means the atmosphere is spinning with the Earth. Neither is travelling through oxygen.
Earth’s atmosphere is a thin layer, and it’s rotating with earth. It’s like moving through water compared to having wet skin.
Earth is spinning due to suns gravitational pull. Earths speed is indeed less compared to if there was no atmosphere. But its not same as filling solar system with air.
For example consider an athelete spinning in hammer throw vs same athlete trying to spin underwater.
The Centrifugal force decreases weight of hammer.
It’s a bit like the air traveling with you inside the car not affecting you, but if your remove your windshield whilst driving, you’ll feel the air from outside trying to blow you back.
Friction only creates a force when the two materials experiencing mutual friction are moving at different speeds or in different directions. The earth and its atmosphere are orbiting around the sun together at the same speed and in the same direction.
It affect us, quite not like you would think.
There is an effect between the earth rotating and the atmosphere and it does something that’s very well known : the coriolis effect.
It’s one of the reason the usa has tornados hitting the east coast and not the west coast. It also affect in which direction they rotate (counterclockwise in the usa).
Imagine the atmosphere doesn’t move as fast as the earth at the equator line because it tends to stay in place and is not attached to it. This creates an east to west wind. (This wind is more complex that this, but it explains the basics)
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