Q1.
In which way is the Earth turning around itself?
Answer
The Earth spins about its axis of rotation — an imaginary line passing through its geographic North Pole and South Pole. Viewed from above the North Pole, the Earth rotates in the anti-clockwise direction, that is, from West to East, completing one rotation in about 24 hours.
It spins in space just as a top spins about its spindle, a ceiling fan about its shaft, or a ball spun on a fingertip (Fig. 12.2).
| Question about the spin | Answer |
|---|---|
| About what line? | The axis of rotation, through the North Pole and the South Pole |
| In which sense? | Anti-clockwise when viewed from above the North Pole |
| In which compass direction? | From West to East |
| How long for one rotation? | About 24 hours |
Tip: the direction is easy to remember from an everyday fact — the Sun rises in the East. A place must turn towards the East to meet the sunlight first, so the Earth turns West to East.