Question: If the earth stopped spinning would we fly off our feet, would their be an immediate reaction? I know our seasons would cease to change and that the moons cycle would be messed up but would we notice anything immediately because of things like centrifugal force?

James Holloway answered on 18 Mar 2013:

Yes we would fly off our feet, unless you were near the north or southpole. We would’t fly off the planet though.

At the equator, Earth is rotating at about 1000 mph. If you were standing on the equator when it stopped you would be moving at 1000 mph sideways relative to the earth, smashing through walls or trees or whatever you were standing next to.

You wouldn’t fly off the planet though as the escape velocity needed to escape earth’s gravity is many times larger.

If you were standing at the north or south pole you may not even notice.

If we stopped spinning instantly *with* the Earth then we would measure a stronger force pulling us down (whether it would be large enough to feel would require some calculations)