The spinning Earth
The Earth turns on its axis.
A spinning top
A top spins on its tip. The Earth also spins, all the time.
How long do you think the Earth takes to spin round once?
What this lesson covers
The idea
The Earth spins (rotates) on its own axis, which passes through its geographic North Pole and South Pole, completing one rotation in about 24 hours.
A spinning top
A top spins on its tip. The Earth also spins, all the time.
How long do you think the Earth takes to spin round once?
- About 24 hours
- About 1 hour
- About 1 year
Spin the globe
The red line is the axis. The orange pin is a place on the Earth. Slide the hours.
Turning on its own axis
The pin goes round in a circle and is back where it began after about 24 hours. This turning is called rotation.
The Earth spins (rotates) on its own axis, which passes through its geographic North Pole and South Pole, completing one rotation in about 24 hours.
Notes
The Earth spins (rotates) on its own axis, which passes through its geographic North Pole and South Pole, completing one rotation in about 24 hours.
Check yourself
About how many hours does the Earth take to complete one rotation?
Answer: 24 hours
About 24 hours.
The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line through the …
Which of these means the same as the Earth rotating?
When the Earth has completed one rotation, the pin is …
- Equator, from East to West. The Equator is a circle around the middle of the Earth. It is not the line the Earth spins around.
- Sun and the Moon. The axis goes through the Earth itself. It does not reach the Sun or the Moon.
- North Pole and the South Pole — correct. Yes! The Earth spins on the line joining its two poles.
- The Earth spins on its own axis — correct. Yes! Turning round its own axis is rotation.
- The Earth moves round the Sun. Moving round the Sun is a different motion, which you will meet soon.
- The Earth moves up and down. Rotation is turning round an axis. It is not moving up and down.
- on the other side of the Earth. That happens after half a rotation, not after a full one.
- back at the place where it started — correct. Yes! The pin goes round once and returns.
- at the North Pole. The pin goes round in a circle. It does not change its distance from the poles.