Why speed of rotation decreases from equator to pole?
Answers
Answer:
The equator is further away from the (just imagined central pole) than the North and South poles. In this case, the same point on the equator has to travel a larger distance, a larger radius or call it circumference, to get to the same point. Therefore, the speed of rotation at the poles, decreases.
The crust of Earth is generally solid so the entire Earth turns at the same rotation rate. Therefore the further you are from the axis of rotation, the faster that part must move to make one rotation in a day. The Equator is the furthest from the axis, so a point on the Equator would move faster relative to the axis than a point at high latitude. But ALL of them make one rotation in one day.
Try this. Spin a ball on the floor so it goes around about once a second. Place a finger near the top of the ball and follow the ball in its rotation. How fast does your hand move? Fairly easy to keep up with the ball? Now with the ball spinning at the same rate, try to keep a finger on the SIDE of the ball as it rotates. Not so easy - it moves a lot faster there! That point on the side of the ball covers more distance in the same time than a point near the spin axis, therefore the point on the side moves faster.