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2007-05-29 05:15:54 · 9 answers · asked by Ninad S 2 in Science & Mathematics Physics

9 answers

A sphere is the shape that minimizes gravitational potential energy.

Because the earth spins, there is also a centrifugal potential, which makes the earth bulge out a bit in the middle.

There earth is also very, very slightly pear-shaped.

But to first order, the earth is spherical because the sphere brings as much stuff as close to the center as possible.

2007-05-29 05:22:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

Well its not perfectly round but as the molten Earth cooled the force of the sun's gravity and the Earth's orbit allowed the Earth cool in a spherical shape.

2007-05-29 05:20:53 · answer #2 · answered by Lady Geologist 7 · 1 1

The center of the Earth is the center of its gravity, and gravity pulls inwards equally in all directions, so Earth's mass is being pulled inwards towards its center at all points. Due to centripetal acceleration caused by the Earth's rotation, however, the Earth is slightly bulged at the equator and flattened at the poles.

2007-05-29 05:22:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

The earth was all molten rock millions yrs ago. gravity made it round. and the two poles are actually closer to the centre than anywhere along the equator because its spinnin, pushin it out.

2007-05-29 05:27:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Any free fluid will form a sphere because it's the largest volume that can be contained in a given surface area. Do the math. Hold volume constant and minimize surface, or hold surface constant and maximize volume. You get a sphere every time.

2007-05-29 11:18:42 · answer #5 · answered by briggs451 5 · 1 0

Use one of those Pottery Wheels, place a blob of clay on it and spin it as fast as it will go. You will see this will form in to a circular shape. You see, gravity is being applied to it but as it rotates that means the gravity is equal all the way around it so everything will be drawn to its center.....

2007-05-29 05:59:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

between the effects of mass is that it attracts different mass. For small gadgets, like your pc, your automobile, or perhaps a construction, the stress of gravity is tiny. yet once you have thousands and thousands, or perhaps trillions of tonnes of mass, the effect of the gravity quite builds up. all the mass pulls on all the different mass, and it tries to create the main effective shape… a sphere. For smaller gadgets, like asteroids, the stress of gravity attempting to tug the article right into a sphere isn’t sufficient to conquer the potential of the rock protecting it in shape. yet as quickly as you get above a undeniable mass and length, the potential of the article can’t end the stress of gravity from pulling it right into a sphere. gadgets better than a pair of million,000 km in length are able to tug themselves right into a sphere. actually, the international Astronomical Union desperate in 2006 that this means exchange into between the standards for an merchandise to be seen a planet. they could desire to orbit the sunlight, they could desire to have cleared out each and every of the smaller gadgets of their orbit, and that they could desire to have sufficient gravity to tug themselves right into a sphere. whilst an merchandise has the gravity to tug itself right into a sphere, astronomers say that it’s in hydrostatic equilibrium. And that’s why the Earth is around. of path, the Earth isn’t completely around. because of the fact it’s turning on its axis approximately as quickly as each and every 24 hours, the Earth’s equator bulges outwards. And there are mountains and valleys that make the Earth’s floor tough.

2016-10-06 06:11:36 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Time in a sphere- No place to go in this clocked solar system

2007-05-29 05:40:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 2

that is the way that God wanted it!! and he likes balls, just look around you and u'll see them everywhere in the universe. people can even talk it - or in this case type it

2007-05-29 05:49:38 · answer #9 · answered by pat_arab 3 · 1 1

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