- #1
jouncey
- 5
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I understand there are two factors: the gravitational forces from the sun and the moon and rotation. Rotation has a greater effect than the gravitational forces, so rotation is what I'd like to focus on.
When the Earth spins, a centripetal force acts on the Earth's crust and points to the core (centripetal force points inward), right? But that seems to contradict the fact that the Earth bulges at the equator. Sources online day that centripetal force cancels out the force of gravity but wouldn't they be pointing the same way...?
I'm probably thinking about this incorrectly, and I don't understand any of the explanations online. Could someone please clarify this for me?
When the Earth spins, a centripetal force acts on the Earth's crust and points to the core (centripetal force points inward), right? But that seems to contradict the fact that the Earth bulges at the equator. Sources online day that centripetal force cancels out the force of gravity but wouldn't they be pointing the same way...?
I'm probably thinking about this incorrectly, and I don't understand any of the explanations online. Could someone please clarify this for me?