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What is important about gravitational pull when a person is on a pole/equator of a planet?

1) It is stronger at the pole and weaker at the equator
2) It is stronger at the equator and weaker at the pole
3) It is the same at both the pole and the equator
4) It depends on the mass of the person

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Gravitational pull is slightly weaker at the equator and stronger at the poles due to the bulging of Earth at the equator and the rotational forces, which are greater at the equator.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational pull on a planet like Earth varies slightly depending on where you are on the planet due to two main reasons: the planet's rotation and its shape. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force of gravity depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between their centers.

Given that the Earth is not a perfect sphere and bulges at the equator, the radius—and consequently the distance to the Earth's center—is greater at the equator than at the poles. This means that gravity is slightly weaker at the equator than at the poles.

Furthermore, the Earth's rotation causes an effect that contributes to this difference in gravitational pull. The outward force resulting from the Earth's rotation is greatest at the equator, which slightly counteracts the force of gravity, making you 'weigh' less at the equator compared to the poles.

Therefore answer is 1) It is stronger at the pole and weaker at the equator.

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