General Knowledge Quiz

[Nannie1959]

How long does it take the earth to spin a quarter of a mile on its axis?

[mibn2cweus]

At the Equator the Earth spins one-quarter of a mile in 0.86741588375 seconds relative to the Sun and in
0.86504746229 seconds relative to the stars.

[heathfield]

Eleven decimal places, Mibn? A curious number! :-)

[mibn2cweus]

Why stop there? lol

One-quarter mile per second corresponds to the motion of the Earth's surface at about a 30� latitude.

[Teddio]

No calculators involved: a crude calculation.
At the equator, Earth spins at approx 1000mph (24000mile circumference divided by 24 hours)
time = distance/speed = 0.25mile/1000mph = 0.00025 hours.
= 0.00025 X 3600 = 0.9 seconds

[brachiopod]

If you stand a little over 70 yards from either pole - (North or South, it's your choice) - it will take you 24 hours to 'spin' a � of a mile.

[wildwood]

and if this is a trick question, at the axis it will literaly take forever to cover any distance.

[stevie21]

Damn you pesky wabbits, it took all of my brain cells to think "it depends how far you are from the poles".
Booooo.

I'd guess that unless specified the question means a quarter mile at the equator?

[mibn2cweus]

stevie, As mentioned in a previous post the 1/4mps speed corresponds more closely to the velocity of Earth�s rotation at a latitude of 30�. Although about half the surface area of the Earth lies between north and south 30� latitudes the average velocity over the Earth's surface (about 1/4 mile in 1.36 seconds) corresponds more closely to the velocity of the Earth's rotation at 50� latitude.

Why either 1/4 mile or one second were chosen as suitable intervals is beyond me? I too have contemplated wildwood's suspicions. The internet is no longer solely the province of physicists, not that I�m complaining any!