The earth's rotational speed is over 1,000 MPH, so why don't we feel it spinning?

Because we’re moving at the same rate.

@smudges

I’m sure you’re right about that.

Then what we don’t want is for it to suddenly stop spinning, and then get launched high into the sky.

@Brian1946 You do. At the equator where the spin is the greatest you are about 1% lighter than at the North Pole.

Right, @Brian1946! or to suddenly speed up!

@Caravanfan What does velocity have to do with weight?

@smudges

I agree.

I’d actually prefer a substantial acceleration, because then I’d be catapulted westward to the Pacific Ocean.

If it suddenly stopped, then I’d probably get tossed to the mountains about 110 miles east of me.
My only hope then would be to land in Big Bear Lake, which is a lot smaller target than the Pacific. ;-o

For the same reason you don’t feel the car that you’re in going 70 mph.

@Brian1946

“I’d actually prefer a substantial acceleration, because then I’d be catapulted westward to the Pacific Ocean.”

Now that I’ve given it some more thought, I’d probably get smashed through my ceiling, because I’m usually indoors.

@smudges At the equator you are subject to maximal centripetal force from the angular momentum.

Also consider:
The Earth is traveling 67,000 mph around the Sun.
The Sun is traveling 448,000 mph around the Milky Way galaxy.
The Milky Way galaxy is traveling 130 miles per second through space.

Wonder where we’re going? HA!

How many miles per second is the Milky Way traveling @gondwanalon?

@Dutchess_III

In his post he noted that “The Milky Way galaxy is traveling 130 miles per second through space.”

That equates to 468,000 MPH.

We don’t feel velocity. We only feel changes in velocity (acceleration/deceleration). I believe this is related to movement of fluids in the ear?

Thanks Brian.

Your thought experiment misses the implications in @gorillapaws summation. If what he states is correct, it isn’t you alone that would be set a flying at the abrupt braking of the earth’s rotation. The earth itself must fly apart. The mountains and oceans must also be flung into space along with anything defining the surface of the place. Rather than being propelled toward the Pacific, you must be tossed along with it.

Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?

We respond to rate of rotation. 360 degrees per 24 hours is not very fast.

Wait, you guys aren’t feeling it?!?

You only feel acceleration and deceleration.

Earth’s angular rotation is 1 rev per 24 hours. That’s half the rate of the hour hand of an analog clock. Barely perceptible.

@RocketGuy If that hour hand was nearly 4000 miles long, you’d perceive it.

But not feel it. We see the relative movement of the stars, but perceive it as star movement rather than Earth rotation.

If you put a bowl of water on a turntable then drop in a few grains of rice, you will see the rice initially sliding relative to the bowl. Eventually, the water and rice will be spinning at the same speed as the bowl, so will look stationary relative to the bowl. Same goes for people and Earth’s atmosphere. We have been going around with Earth since the beginning. Everything seems stationary relative to the ground.

@RocketGuy as you know, there still is a component of rotational acceleration. We may not “feel” it but that’s why your rockets are shot from Brazil and not Canada.

True, as one moves closer to the equator, one’s tangential speed increases. If you maintained a purely southwards path while coming from the north, you would feel the Coriolis Force as you were traveling. Most people wouldn’t feel it because we don’t usually travel fast enough.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_force

@RocketGuy No, nobody would feel the rotation (unless you’re sailing in the trade winds) but you are physically lighter.

@RocketGuy Eventually, the water and rice will be spinning at the same speed as the bowl,

So that’s why babies don’t get flung across the room when they’re born! They’ve been in Mom, and Mom has been spinning the same speed as the earth! sorry 8^\