Why Don’t We Feel The Speed Of Earth’s Rotation?
In a previous article, I explored the powerful G-forces we experience on rollercoasters, which mimic the intense accelerations felt by Formula 1 drivers or astronauts. These forces create unmistakable sensations of disorientation and physical pressure.
Yet here we are, riding our very own galactic rollercoaster, planet Earth, which rotates at around 1,000 mph and orbits the Sun at 67,000 mph. Remarkably, we’re neither flung off into space by powerful centrifugal forces nor disoriented by Earth’s dizzying speeds. We don’t feel any sense of motion, G-forces, or even a breeze in our hair. So why is that?
Constant Speed, No Acceleration
Unlike the sudden, jolting accelerations we feel on a rollercoaster, Earth’s rotation and orbit are incredibly smooth and constant, with no sudden changes in speed. Because there’s no acceleration, there are no G-forces to register, and we feel nothing as a result. Putting G-forces aside for the moment, since we’re traveling at a mind-boggling 67,000 mph, shouldn’t we feel some sense of movement?
Absolute vs. Relative Motion
The concept of relative motion explains why we don’t feel the Earth’s speed. Everything on Earth’s surface, including the atmosphere, is moving with the planet at the same speed. This shared motion means there’s no relative difference to signal to our bodies that we’re moving. We feel stationary because we’re moving in perfect unison with our surroundings.
Stephanie Deppe, an astronomer at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, likens this to riding in a car: “If you’re in a car going at a constant speed on the highway, if you close your eyes and tune out the road noise, you’d feel stationary. But if that car were braking repeatedly, you’d sense the motion. Because it maintains a constant speed, you feel motionless.”
Rotation And Gravity
Finally, gravity plays a critical role. Earth’s rotation does create a centripetal acceleration (about 0.03 m/s²) that could, in theory, fling us outward. But gravity, at 9.8 m/s², is overwhelmingly stronger and holds us firmly to the ground. Gravity essentially “cancels out” the minor centrifugal effects we would otherwise feel.
In essence, Earth’s constant, smooth rotation and the overwhelming force of gravity make it impossible for us to feel the motion or G-forces of our planet’s high-speed journey through space.
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I am a practising HR consultant working with several start-ups on an ongoing and ad-hoc basis in the London and M4 area, and am a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or CIPD. I am the Director of thecareercafe.co.uk; thecareercafe.co.uk is a resource for start-ups and small business. It includes a blog containing career advice, small business advice articles, HR software reviews, and contains great resources such as HR Productivity Apps.