Final answer:
The distance from the Earth's center to a point outside the Earth is described by its radius, which is about 6371 km. This measure is key in understanding the orbits of satellites and other calculations involving the Earth’s dimensions and movements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distance from the Earth's center to a point outside the Earth is known as the radius of the Earth, assuming the point is still relatively close to the Earth's surface. The radius is the distance from the center of a circle (or sphere, in three dimensions) to its perimeter, which—in this case—is the Earth's surface. This concept is commonly used in calculations involving the Earth's circumference or the orbits of satellites.
For instance, the average radius of Earth is approximately 6371 km. This measurement becomes significant in situations like determining the orbit of a satellite, where the altitude of the satellite's orbit is added to the radius of the Earth to find the total distance from the Earth's center. Therefore, if a satellite is in low Earth orbit, about 600 km above the Earth's surface, its distance from the Earth's center would be roughly 600 km plus the Earth’s radius (6371 km).