• Question: Why is the globe round?

    Asked by laurenthebest to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      I think its pretty much a “geoid” which is not quite a sphere. There’s probably some phsyicsy reason for why its this shape…anyone?

    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      When you have enough matter to make a planet, the gravity squashes it into the most even distribution of mass, which is a sphere. Planets spin, which makes them bulge a bit at the equator, so they aren’t perfect spheres.

    • Photo: Kimberley Bryon

      Kimberley Bryon answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      A globe is a representation of the planet and because Earth is round so is a globe. I don’t know why planets are round though.

    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi lauren!! The answer is …. dah dah dah! GRAVITY!!! Drew has done a good job describing it. A sphere is the best shape for a gravitationally bound object to assume. And, as Drew described it flattens out a bit in the middle because of the spin. Isn’t gravity cool?

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