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Why does the Earth spin?
The Earth still spins because of the turning motion it got when the solar system formed, and nothing in space has ever stopped it.
About 4.5 billion years ago, the solar system formed from a huge cloud of gas and dust. As the cloud fell together, it began to spin, just like an ice skater spins faster when they pull their arms in. Earth formed from bits of this spinning cloud, so it was spinning right from the start.
There is no air or friction in space. Since nothing is there to slow it down, Earth has kept spinning for billions of years without losing any of that motion. If you leave a bike upside down, its wheel stops turning because of friction, but there is no friction to slow the Earth down.
It takes about 24 hours for the Earth to spin around once. This is what makes day and night happen. At the same time, Earth also travels around the Sun, and that trip takes one year.
Quick facts
- Earth formed from a spinning cloud of dust when the solar system was being made.
- Because there is no air or friction in space, the Earth's spinning never stops.
- It takes the Earth about 24 hours to spin around once.
- The Earth spinning around is what makes day and night happen.
- Earth completes its trip around the Sun in 365 days.
Check what you remember
4 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. Why does the Earth never stop spinning?
2. How long does it take the Earth to spin around once?
3. What does the Earth spinning around make happen?
4. How many days does it take Earth to travel around the Sun?
Where this comes from
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1 nasa.gov 90/100NASA Official Website
You can find real, up-to-date facts from NASA about space and the planets.
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2 tr.wikipedia.org 80/100Solar System - Wikipedia
A big page that explains how the solar system formed and describes the planets.
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