The Earth rotates counterclockwise on its axis, causing the sun to appear to rise in the east and set in the west. This is because as the Earth spins towards the east, the portion of the Earth that is facing the sun is illuminated, while the portion that is facing away from the sun is dark. As the Earth continues to spin, the illuminated portion of the Earth continues to move, causing the sun to appear to rise and set in the east and west, respectively.