Recent content by jtban

An axis can be imaginary or real. A real axis is an axle. A point on an axle continually faces the direction of motion of the object to which it is physically attached, like the axle of a car on a ferris wheel. The axle rotates with the object to which it is physically attached. The car rotates...

Thanks for the example. I wish I thought of it. Keep in mind that an axis is an imaginary axle. The ferris wheel cars are mounted on axles (axis) that are physically attached (through bearings) to a central axle (axis). Each car is rotating about its axis once per orbit (thank God). All...

Sorry if I wasn't clear. For the horse to move around the oval track and continually face the same direction, is a real problem. The horse is not stationary. An example of an axis always facing the direction of circular motion would be a point on the pole of a MGR horse always facing the...

The horse would have to be running sideways and forward part of the way and sideways and backward part of the way. If mounted on an axle, no problem. I can't think of one real world example where a non-rotating object moving in a circle could be mistaken for one rotating twice per orbit...

Thanks for the correction about my use of the word illusion. From the reference frame of the spectator, the horse is rotating once per orbit. But then, a non-rotating orbiting horse is impossible. The spectator would only see one side of the horse and the observer at the center would see all...

If you swing a ball in a circle attached to a string and let go, the ball will travel in a straight line until stopped by some physical force. If the ball was rotating when you let go, it would continue to spin while traveling in a straight line until stopped by some physical force. If the sun...

Bandersnatch, To make sure I understand Netwon's law of rotational motion, if a plane's engine quits while traveling in a circle, it will continue to rotate while continuing in a straight line until friction brings it to a stop. Is this correct? Planets act accordingly. Darkkith, Not so. An...

Why do celestial bodies follow different laws of physics than terrestrial bodies? A non-rotating object has a point on its axis, or axle, continually aligned with a point on the object. An axis is virtual, or imaginary; an axle is real and we live in a real physical world. In a real physical...

From the answers to my question it appears that originally the universe was infinitely smaller and hotter consisting of pure thermal energy with sub-atomic particles moving about frantically, and that there never was a cosmic egg, or starting point for the universe. The universe cooled as...

To compress the observable universe into the size of a grapefruit, it had to be devoid of all motion, and therefore all heat and energy. Why wasn’t the heavy hunk of matter the size of a grapefruit that preceded the “Big Bang” that created our observable universe cold and without energy...