• Question: How can the earth just be floating? I mean there is that many people living on it and one day it will surely just have to cave in and give up? Does it float because there is no gravity in space? If so how can we be sure of it?

    Asked by moseleal01 to Jo, timcraggs on 25 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Joanna Buckley

      Joanna Buckley answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      Hiya again moseleal01 🙂

      The Earth spins round the sun in orbit held there by gravity. We’re held more tightly than say, Neptune because we’re closer. Don’t think of it as floating – we’re more set on a course and won’t budge.

      I always wanted to try something. If all the people in the Northern Hemisphere (I mean all of them!) jumped up and down all at exactly the same time, what would happen? Would the whole world rise and fall?! I think probably not but how cool would it be to try? Organising it would be a nightmare!! 🙂

    • Photo: Tim Craggs

      Tim Craggs answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      The earth is not just floating, it is in orbit around the sun, and is held in this orbit by the gravitational force between the earth and the sun. So there is definitely gravity in space, otherwise we would not be orbiting the sun.

      As to the second part of your question, I don’t think that the earth will cave in. I think that the sun will explode well before that could ever happen.

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