* Rotation is about an axis: The Earth spins around its axis, which runs through the North and South poles. The speed of rotation is constant at every point along the equator.
* Speed changes with latitude: As you move away from the equator towards the poles, the circumference of the circle you're traveling on decreases. This means the speed of rotation at a given location like NYC, which is at a higher latitude than the equator, is slower.
How to calculate it:
1. Find the Earth's circumference at NYC's latitude: You'd need the latitude of NYC (about 40.7° N) and some geometry/trigonometry to calculate this.
2. Divide circumference by the Earth's rotation period: The Earth completes one rotation in approximately 24 hours. Divide the circumference you calculated by 24 hours to get the speed in miles per hour.
Approximate speed:
While we can't give a precise figure without the calculations, you can estimate that NYC's speed due to the Earth's rotation is significantly slower than the speed at the equator, which is roughly 1,000 miles per hour.
Important Note: This is just the speed due to Earth's rotation. The Earth also orbits the sun, and that motion adds another dimension of speed.
