[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Sat, Feb 5 2005 11:23 AM by hanuman_2000. 3 replies.
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hanuman_2000  +  72256 Sat, 05 Feb 05 11:23 AM
Sir,


What are the correct usages of the word "rotate: and "revolve."


Thanks.

Joined on Thu, Aug 12 2004
INDIA
Contributing Member 1,644
Mister Micawber  +  72268 Sat, 05 Feb 05 01:06 PM

'revolve / rotate

The verbs revolve and rotate are used in everyday writing to indicate cyclic patterns. For example, revolving debt is debt that is carried over from one credit card statement to the next; crop rotation refers to the successive planting of different crops on the same land. Although they are used as synonyms in everyday writing, this is not so in scientific writing. The difference between the two terms lies in the location of their central axis. If an object is orbiting another object, as the Moon is Earth, then one complete orbit is called a revolution. On the other hand, if an object is turning about itself, or rather, about an axis that passes through itself, then one complete cycle is called a rotation. This difference is epitomized in this statement: Earth rotates on its axis and revolves about the Sun.'

Revolve is the more general term, and appears more idiomatically: 'My life revolves around the English language'.
Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004
Yokohama
Veteran Member 30,825
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'
hanuman_2000  +  72584 Mon, 07 Feb 05 07:05 AM
Sir,


If an object is orbiting another object, as the Moon is Earth, then one complete orbit is called a revolution.

The above line is from your explanation.

Sometime I hear like revolving Chair, even though the chair is just rotating on its axis.

Is revolving chair correct?

Thanks.

Mister Micawber  +  72588 Mon, 07 Feb 05 07:51 AM

As the definition says, Hanuman-- the difference is strict only in scientific terminology, which does not include your chair.

They are often called 'swivel chairs', I believe.

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