how do we know whats the top. and whats the bottom of the planet earth?

Answer 1

There is no such thing as the top or bottom of Earth. There is no up or down in space and Earth is in space. Down is the direction things fall, and for Earth that is toward the center of the globe. The south pole of Earth is NOT down. It is only a map making convention to put south at the bottom, but that has no physical reality. It is just a way of drawing maps that everyone has agreed to use.

Answer 2

One could say that there are 2 tops and 2 bottoms. Using the axis of rotation and the North Star, when you get a sextant reading of 90 deg, then you are at the Northern most point of the planet. Like wise with the south. The other top and bottom are the magnetic north and magnetic south. If you were traveling by a compass, then your compass would lead you to those locations. They do not coordinate with the axis of rotation. It should also be noted that the Earth has a "wobbling" axis of rotation and therefore, the North Star as it is today, will not be the North Star in many years from now.

Answer 3

There was an argument that mapmakers put themselves at the top because civilisation started in the northern hemisphere. However, the convention of putting North at the top came centuries ago, before there was an understanding that the world is round.

The answer is to do with civilisations starting in the northern hemisphere, but for a different reason.
It is because of the original navigation techniques and specifically using the North star for directions. This was put at the top and so that then means North at the top.

If original civilisations were in the southern hemisphere and using the Southern Cross for navigation then maps may have been the other way up.

Answer 4

Their is no top or bottom of the planet. Their is no up or down in space. This may sound strange but it is true. The Earth is in a void. If you fell off the planet (speaking theroretically), you won't fall straight down into the void of space, you will orbit the sun probably. Therefore, you can't measure an up or a down in space. Their is no such thing.

Answer 5

The defintion of such concepts as top and bottom, up and down, left and right etc have been decided by the discovery scientist #, by and large. Once the basics of electromagnetism were decided upon, everyththing else becomes a function of this. SAdly, it makes the whole thing [for once] seem much simpler than it is.

Answer 6

If you assume top and bottom mean magnetic north and south then it actually changes from time to time. 730,000 yrs ago was the last switch (if compasses had existed back then their arrows would've pointed south) and another one is predicted to occur within the next 1000 yrs or so. This is a natural phenomenom that's happened hundreds of times since the earth formed and is a regular function of the geological processes deep within the earths core where the magnetic field is generated.

Answer 7

honestly this questions amuses me - i mean can you state with all honesty that a ball (sphere) like the earth has either a top or bottom when sizing the planet you talk in north south east and west plus longitude and latitude not top and bottom.

Answer 8

Firstly we would know by looking at the obvious.We've got the sky and the ground so surely you should know which one is up and which one is down(top&bottom).If you want it in a more complex explanation I would refer u to the concept of Gravitational Force which suggests that an object left to free fall will come down to the ground which would then mean its the Bottom and the remainder would then be the Top.Got it, I hope so!!!!

Answer 9

The terms top and bottom do not apply. In most cases, convention says place north at the top of a diagram.

Answer 10

there is no top or bottom, just as there is no up down left or right in space these are terms we use for ourselves in order to live our lives remeber the notion of time is also an invention of ours