How did Earth get its size and shape?

How did Earth get its size and shape?

Our planet’s shape, caused by the flattening at the poles, is called an oblate spheroid. Those numbers make Earth just slightly bigger than Venus, whose equatorial radius is about 3,761 miles (6,052 km).

Who determines the shape of the earth?

By 500 BCE , the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras declared the earth’s shape to be a sphere. He arrived at this determination not through scientific observations but because he believed the sphere to be the perfect geometric shape and the gods would only create a “perfect” world.

How did the first part of the Earth form?

Because the heaviest elements sunk to the center of the newly formed planet, the core became the densest part. It left the lighter elements to rise to up, and the earth’s crust formed. The early atmosphere is thought to have formed as outgassing, and incredible volcanic activity continued across the planet.

How does the shape of the Earth affect its size?

Earth’s Shape. Earth’s circumference and diameter differ because its shape is classified as an oblate spheroid or ellipsoid, instead of a true sphere. This means that instead of being of equal circumference in all areas, the poles are squished, resulting in a bulge at the equator, and thus a larger circumference and diameter there.

How are different processes have shaped the Earth?

Throughout Earth’s history, a host of different processes have molded and shaped the planet. Rocks from space pelted our planet’s surface. Continents drifted . Volcanoes erupted. The mix of gases in our planet’s atmosphere changed, over and over again. Temperatures at or near Earth’s surface ran cold — then hot.

How are people shaping the history of the Earth?

This is just one way that humans are reshaping the environment. Earth’s history is written in its rocks. Over time, new layers accumulate above the older ones. Like the pages of a journal, those layers of rock record the events that have shaped our planet for much of its history. These events include the geology of a location.