Which of the following statements about Earth’s rotation is corr...
- Context: A recent study suggests that the accelerated melting of glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica due to climate change is affecting Earth’s rotation, potentially postponing the need for a “negative leap second” to keep clocks aligned with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- Option 1 is Incorrect: Earth makes one complete rotation on its axis every 23 hours and 56 minutes, which is rounded up to 24 hours.
- Option 2 is Incorrect: Earth rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole, not when viewed from the North Pole itself.
- Option 3 is correct: Earth’s rotation speed is indeed faster at the equator compared to the poles due to the larger circumference of the equator, resulting in a greater distance traveled in the same amount of time.
- Option 4 is Incorrect: Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane around the Sun, not perpendicular.
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Which of the following statements about Earth’s rotation is corr...
Earth's Rotation Speed
The correct statement about Earth's rotation is that its rotation speed is faster at the equator compared to the poles.
Explanation
- Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, which is why we experience day and night.
- The speed of rotation is not constant across the planet. Due to the shape of the Earth (an oblate spheroid), the circumference at the equator is greater than at the poles.
- Since Earth completes one rotation in 24 hours, the speed of rotation at the equator is faster to cover the larger distance compared to the poles.
- This difference in rotational speed is why objects at the equator experience slightly less gravitational pull compared to those at the poles.
- The rotation speed at the equator is approximately 1670 km/h, while at the poles, it is essentially zero in terms of surface speed.
Therefore, the statement that Earth's rotation speed is faster at the equator compared to the poles is correct.