2006-12-08 12:54:03 · 14 answers · asked by deca 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Basically speaking, yes. However, the Earth is technically an "oblate spheroid" and not a perfect sphere.
2006-12-08 12:57:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Earth's shape is very close to an oblate spheroid, although the precise shape (the geoid) varies from this by up to 100 meters (327 ft). The average diameter of the reference spheroid is approximately 12,742 km (more roughly, 40,000 km/Ï). The rotation of the Earth causes the equator to bulge out slightly so that the equatorial diameter is 43 km larger than the pole to pole diameter. The largest local deviations in the rocky surface of the Earth are Mount Everest (8,850 m above local sea level) and the Mariana Trench (10,924 m below local sea level). Hence compared to a perfect ellipsoid, the Earth has a tolerance of about one part in about 584, or 0.17%. For comparison, this is less than the 0.22% tolerance allowed in billiard balls. Because of the bulge, the feature farthest from the center of the Earth is actually Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador.
You could get more information from the link below...
2006-12-09 01:56:33 · answer #2 · answered by catzpaw 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The fact that the world appears flat locally is a result of the very small extent of the curvature of the Earth. Yes of course the world is round, but as you get older you should never forget how your first observations led you to believe that it was flat. There are many areas of math that address this, from calculus to differential geometry.
2006-12-08 20:58:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Acutally, one of the science shows on television did say that the earth is not quite round, but slightly like the shape of a pear.
2006-12-08 21:02:03 · answer #4 · answered by Clown Knows 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you average out all the mountains, pretty close. It bulges just a bit at the equator because of the earth's rotation. Technically it is an oblate spheroid.
2006-12-08 20:56:54 · answer #5 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Nate. The Earth actually changes shape twice a day as well.
2006-12-08 23:14:57 · answer #6 · answered by Pecos 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yup. It's mostly melted, too, with a hard cold shell.
It's melted like a hot peanut M&M. Hard shell, hot liquid inside, hard hot center.
All liquids will form a round ball, if left by themselves with no gravity.
2006-12-08 21:15:33 · answer #7 · answered by Chris P 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's not round in general, and even if it were the terrain would make it not round
2006-12-08 22:17:00 · answer #8 · answered by cmb 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's more of a flattened oblate
2006-12-09 00:04:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No - it's kinda shaped like a pear
2006-12-08 20:56:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋