Why is the world round?

Question

It's so weird, it just blows my mind that people on the other side of the earth from me do not fall off the earth, or me for that matter!

Answer 1

Gravity

Answer 2

Everything on earth is attracted to the centre of the planet, so no matter where you are on the planet, the ground is *down* and no one falls anywhere.

The problem is when you look at a picture of the earth you see a 2-dimensional image, and there is an up and a down in the picture. But if the world was like you describe and people on the bottom fall off, most pictures show the North Pole at the top. So then only people at the North Pole wouldn't fall off, everyone else would slide down the side of the earth until they fell off.

Answer 3

To a first-order approximation the Earth is round. This
is due to gravity. Gravity pulls with equal strength in all
directions; therefore any variations from a spherical
shape will lead to gravitational forces that
bring the shape back into that of a sphere.

This is without considering the rotation of the earth,
however. The rotation of the earth adds centrifugal
effects, which cause the earth to bulge slightly at
its equator and flatten slightly at its poles.
(This is like twirling a rock on the end of a string
and then letting go--the rock flies away from the
twirler.) Because of these centrifugal effects, the
distance from the center of the earth to the surface
of the earth is about 0.33% shorter at the poles
compared to the equator.

Answer 4

Earth began forming billions of years ago when small bits and pieces of material drifting in space were pulled together by their mutual gravitation. As more and more of this stuff came together the gravity of the growing Earth increased so that more material was drawn towards its center from all directions. The important point is that material fell onto the new Earth from *all directions* because the center of gravity was at its center. The result is a spherical shaped object like we have today.

Answer 5

Gravity!
The earth's mass is so big that it has gravitational pull. That means stuff is attracted to it like a magnet.
How can people fall off the earth when gravity is what makes us fall in the first place. There is no object with gravitational force that is pulling them off the earth.

Answer 6

The ball shape of the world is becuase during the formation of the world bits and pieces of matter suck together in to clumps and created gravit. Becuase there was no force from the out side pushing it in only it own gravity and becuase gravity is a field it acts at certain strengths at certain distances from the center of origin and it actsequally from all sides compressing from all sides thus creating a round shape

Answer 7

Gravity has pulled the earth into an almost perfect sphere, which is the most compact solid shape possible. I say "almost perfect" because the earth isn't a perfect sphere, but bulges slightly at the equator due to its rotation.

Answer 8

The gravity makes it so you are always forced onto earth. gravity is only from the Earth, the sun, and other heavenly bodies (planets, moons, and stars) There is no gravity in space, so there is no way to fall away the earth unless you have sort of propulsion system pushing you away.

Answer 9

There is, of course a complex, technical answer that could be given you by an astral physics major, or a spiritual answer that could be given to you by a minister or priest.
For the purposes of your question I will tell you that the combination of gravity and centrifical force keeps you rooted on terra firma.
If you have ever gone to an amusement park and ridden one of those rides that spins you around, you are familiar with centrifical force.
Well, the earth spins also, imparting a centrifical force to everyone, but not so much that we can't move. This, in combination with the gravity of the earth itself, keeps us planted.

Answer 10

In fact, the world is not truly round. The earth has a "bulge" at the Equator.