How is equatorial circumference measured?

The formula for calculating the circumference of a sphere is 2 x pi x radius. So, the radius of the Earth is 6371 km. Plug that into the formula, and you get 2 x 3.1415 x 6378.1 = 40,074. It would be more accurate if you use more digits for pi.

How is the Earth’s circumference measured?

Eratosthenes sent a man to Syene from Alexandria on foot to measure the distance between Alexandria and Syene. Thus, Eratosthenes measured the distance between the two cities is 800 km. He multiplied by 800 km to 50 and calculated that the Earth’s circumference is 40,000 km.

What is the equatorial circumference of the Earth?

24,901 mi
Earth/Circumference

How much higher is sea level at the equator?

In fact, the Earth is so non-spherical that it’s 42km farther across at the equator than from pole to pole. That means if you thought Earth were a sphere and defined sea level by standing on the sea ice at the north pole, then the surface of the ocean at the equator would be 21km above sea level.

What is the circumference and diameter of Earth?

Both of these values are very close to the accepted modern values for the Earth’s circumference and radius, 40,070 km and 6378 km respectively, which have since been measured by orbiting spacecraft. The diameter of a circle is twice the radius, giving us a diameter for Earth of 12,756 km.

Why does the Earth have an equatorial bulge?

The Earth is wider at the equator than from pole to pole, mainly because the centrifugal forces of its rotation make it bulge outwards. Satellites can measure its average shape using gravity and altitude data. Over most of the past 20 years, these observations showed that overall the Earth is becoming more round.

How is distance measured in sea level?

It turns out the best way to measure changes in sea level is from space. NASA’s Jason-3 satellite carries an instrument called a radar altimeter. It uses radio waves instead of a ruler to measure distances.

Does the Earth bulge slightly at the equator?

centrifugal forces Earth bulges slightly at the Equator. As indicated in Figure 25, the effect of the Sun’s gravity on the near bulge (larger than it is on the far bulge) results in a net torque about the centre of Earth.

Which planet has the greatest equatorial bulge?

Saturn
Saturn, which has a rotation period of just over 10 hours and a mean density less than that of water, has the greatest equatorial bulge of all the planets, with an equatorial diameter nearly 11\% greater than its polar diameter. See also Oblateness.

What is considered as sea level?

Summary. Sea level is a reference to elevation of the ocean/land interface called the shoreline. Land that is above this elevation is higher than sea level and lower is below sea level.

How many miles around the Earth is the equatorial circumference?

Earth’s polar radius is 3,950 miles (6,356 km) — a difference of 13 miles (22 km). Using those measurements, the equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km). However, from pole-to-pole — the meridional circumference — Earth is only 24,860 miles (40,008 km) around.

What are the measurements of the Earth?

Earth’s Measurements. With a circumference of 40,075 km, Earth is the fifth largest of the planets in the Solar System. The meridional circumference that is from pole to pole is 40,008 km. The difference is caused by the flattening of the poles, such that the Earth has an oblate spheroidal shape.

What is the diameter and radius of the Earth?

Radius, diameter and circumference. However, Earth is not quite a sphere. The planet’s rotation causes it to bulge at the equator. Earth’s polar radius is 3,950 miles (6,356 km) — a difference of 13 miles (22 km). Using those measurements, the equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km).

What is the meridional circumference of the Earth?

With a circumference of 40,075 km, Earth is the fifth largest of the planets in the Solar System. The meridional circumference that is from pole to pole is 40,008 km. The difference is caused by the flattening of the poles, such that the Earth has an oblate spheroidal shape.