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whopis01

(3,921 posts)

79. Velocities are relative - but acceleration is not

Sat Feb 15, 2014, 02:41 PM

Feb 2014

The sun imposes an acceleration on the earth that causes the earth to orbit the sun - but the earth certainly does not impose an acceleration on the sun to make it revolve around the earth.

In reality, they both revolve around the center of gravity of the system of course, but that point lies within the sun.

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Highlight:

Poll: 1 in 4 Americans unaware the Earth circles the Sun [View all] davidn3600 Feb 2014 OP

I don't find that surprising. Neoma Feb 2014 #1

Given the source, neither do I. Coyotl Feb 2014 #95

Hey, it's progress. It was 1 in 5 in 2005: jsr Feb 2014 #2

They must be Andy823 Feb 2014 #3

That is about the nationwide percentage CatholicEdHead Feb 2014 #88

How about we start with education as the premise? Igel Feb 2014 #89

Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2014 #4

It's a lot of work keeping those light bulbs in the sky changed, hopefully LEDs will RKP5637 Feb 2014 #6

Are you a kitty? Sunlei Feb 2014 #8

How old are you? oldhippie Feb 2014 #9

Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2014 #11

Now that you know the truth, to what/whom would you assign 'responsibility' for this? brett_jv Feb 2014 #81

"That's no moon!" kentauros Feb 2014 #20

Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2014 #32

DU isn't living up to your expectations? n/t kcr Feb 2014 #38

Hope your OP thread is good LG! hrmjustin Feb 2014 #40

reading hidden threads is one of my favorite DU activities arely staircase Feb 2014 #91

I wish I could but I don't have that kind of power. hrmjustin Feb 2014 #94

Nothing wrong with having an imagination. kentauros Feb 2014 #44

I think you may be right about SheilaT Feb 2014 #70

The GPS, I think had a strong launch point because many already couldn't or struggled with reading TheKentuckian Feb 2014 #80

I've always found it hard to read a map while I was driving. Nitram Feb 2014 #82

I actually can see the value in a GPS, even though SheilaT Feb 2014 #83

Oh, I'll use one now, sometimes to save on having to buy a map. TheKentuckian Feb 2014 #103

Knowing how to read a map can make learning the local geography fun, kentauros Feb 2014 #87

... SidDithers Feb 2014 #39

It doesn't help when idiot singers like Rihanna sing dumbass lyrics like "Shine Bright Like a Nanjing to Seoul Feb 2014 #43

And the txtng mentality kentauros Feb 2014 #47

I vomited every time I got "idk" as an answer Nanjing to Seoul Feb 2014 #49

Maybe you should! kentauros Feb 2014 #52

May I borrow the "ins"? raven mad Feb 2014 #93

Enjoy Nanjing to Seoul Feb 2014 #100

Not long ago I got asked why I Le Taz Hot Feb 2014 #61

Ha! kentauros Feb 2014 #65

Among the reasons I won't text is SheilaT Feb 2014 #71

That's why I use the voice chat option on WeChat and QQ. No more typing Nanjing to Seoul Feb 2014 #99

I bet the same 1 in 4 can't identify Uranus. And have trouble wiping theirs. nt msanthrope Feb 2014 #5

Isn't that the same as a black hole? RKP5637 Feb 2014 #7

4yo's shouldn't answer the phone. ileus Feb 2014 #10

How is this even possible? Control-Z Feb 2014 #12

It's likely a combination of things. Xithras Feb 2014 #50

Young earthers and evangelicals. Nitram Feb 2014 #84

FLASH: 1 in 4 Americans believe the world revolves around them. Downwinder Feb 2014 #13

Yep. LuvNewcastle Feb 2014 #23

too low! +10000000000 n/t NRaleighLiberal Feb 2014 #54

I'm surprised 74% know the earth orbits the sun. Coyotl Feb 2014 #14

That's the answer - we need enlightenment Feb 2014 #15

Pigs! In! Spaaaaaaaaaaaace! kentauros Feb 2014 #24

Too bad The Big Bang didn't talk about this Coyotl Feb 2014 #29

That's actually a brilliant idea! SheilaT Feb 2014 #72

Wow. enlightenment Feb 2014 #101

Yes! SheilaT Feb 2014 #102

1 in 4 Americans believe Sarah Palin should be President. Dawson Leery Feb 2014 #16

...and 100% of those are repukes. L0oniX Feb 2014 #17

And most of this 25% are probably high school graduates. Some years ago I read that Cal33 Feb 2014 #18

At one time, 7 out of 10 believed Saddam Hussein was behind 9-11. Octafish Feb 2014 #19

"pretzeldent" Enthusiast Feb 2014 #77

Bad headline Seeking Serenity Feb 2014 #21

Actually, both are true. The sun DOES revolve around the earth, AND the earth revolves around ChairmanAgnostic Feb 2014 #30

Actually neither is technically true Fumesucker Feb 2014 #37

Pshaw. Gravity's but a theory. Like evolution and creationism. ChairmanAgnostic Feb 2014 #73

Both are not true. Edim Feb 2014 #69

They aren't. It's one big crystal ball around our good flat earth, and has pretty ChairmanAgnostic Feb 2014 #74

Velocities are relative - but acceleration is not whopis01 Feb 2014 #79

Thanks whopis... Nitram Feb 2014 #85

Most of these things I learned by the time I was 12. The Velveteen Ocelot Feb 2014 #22

Oh, I expect that a lot of kids at least receive this kind of information once or twice... Silent3 Feb 2014 #28

On a similar note, some stunning anatomical ignorance... Silent3 Feb 2014 #25

Below the sig line. pintobean Feb 2014 #34

Oh I can tell you where their brain is located durablend Feb 2014 #46

Education Turbineguy Feb 2014 #26

We're doomed, but we already knew that. Faygo Kid Feb 2014 #27

The climate change we need is one of the political persuasion. kairos12 Feb 2014 #31

But nearly 8 and 10 edhopper Feb 2014 #33

Not surprising........ Swede Atlanta Feb 2014 #35

You'd be surprised how many "educated" people Nitram Feb 2014 #86

Also Ron Obvious Feb 2014 #36

Oh! I was pretty sure that the earth Buenaventura Feb 2014 #41

K&R DeSwiss Feb 2014 #42

+1 for the Vonnegut quote. Bernardo de La Paz Feb 2014 #63

I had a student this week Nevernose Feb 2014 #45

sounds like they did a pretty good job sampling d_r Feb 2014 #48

It's called, "The Flat Earth Society," and they are, in part RoccoR5955 Feb 2014 #51

My five year old doesn't really get it Bluzmann57 Feb 2014 #53

Here is the link to a PDF on the NSF site for the questions; greiner3 Feb 2014 #55

Flash 2 in 4 DU'rs believe this poll! whistler162 Feb 2014 #56

I thought all that Earth going around the Sun stuff was just another Al Gore hoax. tclambert Feb 2014 #57

Who and where are these people? penultimate Feb 2014 #58

Ummmm, I thought that was pretty basic knowledge. greatauntoftriplets Feb 2014 #59

So, the TeaKlanners are accounted for. Le Taz Hot Feb 2014 #60

Are these the same 1 out of 4 that think the Earth is 6000 years old? CanonRay Feb 2014 #62

The ignorance of Americans is the #1 National Security challenge, when rightly considered. Bernardo de La Paz Feb 2014 #64

I can't believe people in this country are that stupid. Vashta Nerada Feb 2014 #66

Believable....as 2 in 4 Americans are negligent in their thinking they can change the bkanderson76 Feb 2014 #67

doesn't surprise me heaven05 Feb 2014 #68

IT DOES NOT!! Now you're talking "science" again! rustydog Feb 2014 #75

This is really sad. oldandhappy Feb 2014 #76

. hrmjustin Feb 2014 #78

100 percent of my fourth graders know this arely staircase Feb 2014 #90

It does? I thought it was flat and that "here there be dragons"......... raven mad Feb 2014 #92

The earth doesn't circle the sun dsc Feb 2014 #96

Elliptical? progressoid Feb 2014 #97

We are in... adavid Feb 2014 #98

The comments nadinbrzezinski Feb 2014 #104

Thanks republican fundie douchebags blackspade Feb 2014 #105

Dontcha know? ProudToBeBlueInRhody Feb 2014 #106