I feel like I’ve thought about this my entire life and can never wrap my head around it.
****On a merry go round the further you get from center the more centrifugal force you feel and consequently the more centripetal force (they are equal and opposite if you are at equilibrium). But at the center they are both net zero.
****On earth, presumably the equator would exert the maximum centripetal force due to it being the furthest away from the axis. The centripetal force keeping you on the ground is gravity and that equals your centrifugal force trying to fling you off earth.
****But at the poles, how….. and why….. where tf did gravity go? There’s no centrifugal force which means there’s no equal and opposite centripetal force (gravity).
Due to centripetal force (angular momentum) you weigh about .1% less at the equator than you do at the poles. Gravity is approx 1000x stronger than whatever angular momentum forces caused by the earth's rotation.
To fully counteract the force of gravity you experience while staying "stationary" (which in this case means orbiting the earth at the same speed earth spins) - you would have to orbit at roughly 22,236 miles from the surface of the earth's equator.