Why Does the Earth Rotate?

Why Does the Earth Rotate?

The Earth rotates because it was born spinning! Long ago, about 4.6 billion years ago, a big cloud of gas and dust came together to form our planet. As this cloud collapsed, it started spinning, like water swirling down a drain. This spinning kept going as the Earth formed, and it hasn’t stopped since! It’s like a top that keeps twirling once you give it a push.

The Earth’s rotation gives us day and night. When our side of the Earth faces the Sun, it’s daytime. When it turns away, it’s nighttime. This happens because the Earth spins once every 24 hours. The rotation also helps keep our planet balanced, like a spinning toy stays steady.

Nothing is pushing the Earth to spin now—it keeps going because of a science rule called inertia. Inertia means things keep doing what they’re already doing unless something stops them. Since space has no air or friction to slow it down, the Earth keeps rotating, giving us beautiful days and nights every day!