If the whole world jumped at the same time would the planet move?
Presenter Greg Foot investigates the urban myth that if the whole population of the world jumped at the same time, it could cause an earthquake big enough to affect the speed at which the Earth turns on its axis. He starts by looking at data which showed that a Japanese earthquake that measured 8.9 on the Richter scale and caused the rotation of the Earth to speed up by 2 metres per day. To produce his data he asks 50,000 people at the Reading festival to jump at the same time. This causes an earthquake that measures 0.6 on the Richter scale. Greg then calculates that if the whole population of the Earth, i.e 6.9 billion people jumped up and down at the same time, it would still be a factor of seven million short of altering the speed at which the Earth rotates.
Duration:
This clip is from
More clips from Episode 1
-
Can you make a star on Earth?
Duration: 04:26
-
How big is one giant leap?
Duration: 04:43
-
How can you survive a lightning strike?
Duration: 04:29
-
How Can You Survive A Lightning Strike?
Duration: 01:12
More clips from The Secrets of Everything
-
Why can't I run fast?—Episode 4
Duration: 05:00
-
Why is fire hot?—Episode 5
Duration: 04:04
-
Can I escape from quicksand?—Episode 6
Duration: 05:03
-
Can You Dig To Australia?—Episode 6
Duration: 02:29