• Question: Why is the world spherical?

    Asked by bexh96 to Donna, Jo, Mark, Stuart, timcraggs on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Donna MacCallum

      Donna MacCallum answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Good question – and I’m afraid that I don’t know. I would guess that during formation of the earth there were equal forces from all directions leading to a sphere?!

    • Photo: Joanna Buckley

      Joanna Buckley answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Very good question… it’s not actually, bex, but it looks it doesn’t it?

      It has some very deep chasms (ocean abysses) and huge tall peaks (mountains).

      The rough shape is round because the gravitational forces made the matter that went on to form the earth draw matter from all around and in all directions equally and this made it round.

    • Photo: Mark Lancaster

      Mark Lancaster answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Because a sphere is the state with the lowest energy and everything tries to exist in the most stable (lowest energy state). Gravity acts equally in all directions so when the earth was formed it pulled things in equally in all directions hence forming a sphere. Since gravity is attractive if you form a big mountain (with a big mass) then it will eventually get pulled to the centre of the earth making things spherical again…

    • Photo: Tim Craggs

      Tim Craggs answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I think because it was formed from a swirling cloud of gas. I think this is part of the reason it continues to rotate (though I am not sure). Also, I think it isn’t exactly spherical, it is slightly flattened at the poles.

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