How far in an hour?

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 02 Apr 2024
  • 734 reads
12 comments
 

In an hour from now this car should have gone
30 miles if we carry on
at the speed we are going, but, hey, how far
will our world (and us on it) have gone by then
as it spins round each day
– face the sun, face away –
every hour about 600* mile further we’ve spun.
But our globe each year makes a circuit,
cirlcles our ‘star’
How does it work it?
– how far
every hour?
67 times 1000 miles!
exactly, on track
day and night
exquisitely co-ordinated, timed,
engineered, created, mechanically brilliant:
light not too bright,
heated not frizzled.
but we are just puzzled –
don’t realise we’re travelling
around the universe
for better not worse
each minute, each hour, each day
speeding away!

*aprox in UK

 

Certificate U
Poem
For children
Nature
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

That is quite mind-spinning Rhiannon. A very good IP response - thank you!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks! Yes, quite mind-spinning to think about and try to write about too!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Your explaining poems are really good :0) Your grandchildren must be so well informed!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, but I think it's trying to explain to myself really! I hadn't thought about the difference to how far you travel in an hour if you live at the equator, in the UK, or at the poles! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by memphis on

Stop it! Stop it! I'm getting dizzy, as you say those miles. I love it. And dangling from this gravitational effect. Lol. Thanks for the reminder.

William E Alexander

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you! It is amazing isn't it? Not sure I'm fully understanding! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by memphis on

Yes, it's amazing how your words made me dizzy just thinking about it. Yes, I enjoyed it. 

William E Alexander

Submitted by D G Moody on

The world turning, and orbiting the sun, while the galaxy hurtles along - and meanwhile how far is an hour in a car? Great idea Rhiannon.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thanks, Dougie. It was a bit of fun thinking about it and trying to write! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Well for one thing, as you say it would depend on how far you are from the poles and equator, but as well as the exact direction you're headed and considering the Earth orbital velocity. However even for this very simplified model the calculations are not that simple.

Interesting this but you can take it to ridiculous lengths – Ok the solar system, then the milky way and distant galaxies. all hurtling through space at unimaginable relative speeds even comparable to lightspeed. For practical purposes the numbers are meaningless.

Interesting though you should be able to measure acceleration I think, experimentally.

Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tom. I was just opening up the idea, but as you say, it is impossible to give it real meaning and the different movements are combined. My 6 year-old granddaughter had just won a prize doing a display project about 'Time' and then the IP suggestion of 'one hour' got my mind thinking about the general principles! Rhiannon