Aug 9 2022 - What is a day - what about 25 or 23 hours?

 

If it were to take more than 24 hours for the earth to rotate on its axis?  Actually the Earth is spinning faster, and we had the shortest day ever on June 29 2022. What are the impacts of longer or shorter? Think centrifugal force, and a lot would happen.  "If it was faster then one full rotation would take less than 24 hrs., thus making days & nights shorter.  Our weight would be less, because as the Earth would rotate faster, it would exert more centrifugal force on us. The resultant force of the Earth's gravity and the centrifugal force would be less as gravity would remain constant but centrifugal force would increase. There would also be a temperature change as each hemisphere (Eastern and Western) would get less time to warm up from the Sun's rays. If it was slower then one full rotation would take more than 24 hrs., thus making days & nights longer. Our weight would be more, because as the Earth would rotate slower, it would exert less centrifugal force on us. The resultant force of the Earth's gravity and the centrifugal force would be more as gravity would remain constant but centrifugal force would decrease. There would also be a temperature change as each hemisphere (Eastern and Western) would get more time to warm up from the Sun's rays." And if the rotation took 12 hours? "The water would rise by 100 metres if the day became 12 hours - due to the centrifugal force of the Earth.  So Indonesia and most of South America would be wiped out.  Africa would be two disconnected islands.  Mount Kilimanjara would poke out of the tip of new high oceans.  Hurricanes would increase because water levels near the equator would com along with huge amounts of humidity and create a band of fog around the equator. " The rotation of the earth has been increasing  for a while.  Scientist Leonid Zotov thinks it has to do with the Chandler Wobble that has mysteriously disappeared so could have helped the Earth rotate faster.   A leap second adjustment was made in 2012 and it "wreaked havoc" on sites like Redditt and Yelp who reported crashes due to the time adjustment.  Scientist Judah Levine says that if the planet continues to spin too fast, then by the end of the decade clockmasters may need to delete a full second. For example, they might have the clocks skip from 23:59:58 on Dec. 31, 2029 to 00:00:00 on Jan. 1, 2030.   There's a new Y2K scenario.  I think of August as a purple month - it must be that a lot of purple flowers bloom in August.  Time to check that theory out.  What colours are the other months?

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Sep 21 2021 - School Days

 

How long is a school day for children?  In Ontario, it is generally 6 hours.  Exact school hours can vary by school board and level (elementary or secondary). There's legislation in each province covering the minimum length of a school day - in Ontario the minimum is 5 hours a day, excluding recess and scheduled intervals between classes.   There's only one difference between Grades 1 to 6 and 7 and 8 - there is no PM recess for grades 7 to 8.  Here's a sample from one of the Toronto District School Board web sites: 8:35     Supervision Begins   8:45   Entry Bell 8:50   Classes Begin 10:10-10:25   Recess 11:35     Lunch 12:30   Entry Bell 12:35   Classes Begin 1:55-2:10   Recess 3:20   School Day Ends 3:35   Supervision Ends   It looks neat and tidy, doesn't it. How long should a school day be?  There is lots of research and many articles comparing education systems around the world.  Taiwan seems to have the longest school day at 8.5 hours, down to 5 days for Finland.  It says Ontario has 6 hours in the average school day.   THIS is an article that compares Ontario's length of days, number of days, etc with other systems around the world.   There's lots of writing about the length of the adult work day.  Should we adults engage in recess in our work day?  Should there be time out for some play and physical activity? Articles say yes - adults need recess too. I guess it is something for each of us to consider. Here are some children on a Strasburg Rail Road passenger car about to enjoy a train ride.   Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca