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If Earth were a perfect sphere, would you weigh more or less at the equator than at the poles? Explain​

User Sasker
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1 Answer

14 votes
14 votes

Answer:

You would weigh the same.

Step-by-step explanation:

At the moment, since Earth is not a perfect sphere, the Earth "bulges out" at the equator, so you're further from the centre of the Earth. Since gravity acts through a body's center of mass, the further you are from the centre the weaker the gravitational acceleration you will feel, because gravity weakens over distance.

So, you're actually lighter at the equator than you'd be at the poles.

However, if the Earth was a perfect sphere, this "bulge" at the equator would not happen, and so you would weigh the same at the poles and at the equator.

Hope this makes sense.

User Rezkam
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