1) Use mechanics to show that the Earth is a sphere 2) use mechanics to show tha
ID: 1997639 • Letter: 1
Question
1) Use mechanics to show that the Earth is a sphere2) use mechanics to show that the Earth is rotating.
Please use mathematical and verbal reasoning and write clearly. Print or a type method would work best. 1) Use mechanics to show that the Earth is a sphere
2) use mechanics to show that the Earth is rotating.
Please use mathematical and verbal reasoning and write clearly. Print or a type method would work best. 1) Use mechanics to show that the Earth is a sphere
2) use mechanics to show that the Earth is rotating.
Please use mathematical and verbal reasoning and write clearly. Print or a type method would work best.
Explanation / Answer
1) There are several methods which can be used to prove that the earth is spherical. Few of them are :
i) Shadows differ from place to place: If it was flat, the shadows must have been same.
ii) You can see farther from height: If earth were flat, the distance one can see from height would be same as that from ground. But we can see upto more distance when at some height, hence earth is spherical in shape.
iii) Draw a triangle: On a curved surface the angle sum of a triangle is never equal to 180. If that is the case on Earth, it is spherical.
2) It can be shown with the help of Foucault's Pendulum. This pendulum is free to rotate under the influence of gravity alone. Earlier experiments such as dropping a stone down a mineshaft and shooting a projectile in a north/south direction were used to prove that the earth is spherical, but those were inconclusive as the distance taken is too small as compared to the radius of the earth.
A foucault's pendulum when taken with a very long wire results in slower oscillations, and when left as such, it could be seen that the plane of the pendulum shifts by 2700 in 24 hours, hence proving that the earth is moving around its own axis.
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