Would one weigh more on the equator or on the North Pole?

In summary, the discussion is about the difference in weight on the Earth's equator versus the North Pole due to the Earth not being a perfect sphere and the centrifugal force caused by its rotation. The gravitational acceleration is 9.78 m/s2 at the equator and 9.83 m/s2 at the poles, causing a slight increase in weight at the poles. The use of F=m.g is applicable to this scenario.
  • #1
einsteinette
12
0
Hello, just wondering if you could apply Fg=mg to this. So the gravitational forces on the equator versus on the North Pole would differ and therefore, you would weigh more on the North Pole. According to what I found, the the gravitational acceleration is 9.78 m/s2 at the equator and 9.83 m/s2 at the poles. Does this reasoning make sense?
 
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  • #2
Sure;

Earth is not a perfect sphere as we all know, Polar points are closer to the core of the Earth than Equator.So you weigh more in the North pole then equator.

And of course you can use F=m.g to see that, just insert the "g" for poles and equator,
 
  • #3
Thanks, good to know that I make sense.
 
  • #4
Cryphonus said:
Earth is not a perfect sphere as we all know, Polar points are closer to the core of the Earth than Equator.So you weigh more in the North pole then equator.

Not only that, but the Earth is rotating as well, so there is a centrifugal force pulling you up that decreases with higher latitudes.
 

1. Does the Earth's rotation affect weight?

Yes, the Earth's rotation does have an effect on weight. This is due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation, which slightly decreases the Earth's gravitational pull at the equator compared to the poles.

2. Would someone weigh more at the equator due to the distance from the Earth's center?

No, the distance from the Earth's center does not have a significant effect on weight. The differences in weight between the equator and poles are mainly due to the Earth's rotation.

3. Are there other factors besides the Earth's rotation that affect weight?

Yes, altitude and latitude also have a small effect on weight. The closer you are to sea level and the equator, the more you will weigh due to the increased gravitational pull.

4. How much of a difference in weight is there between the equator and the North Pole?

The difference in weight between the equator and the North Pole is very small, only about 0.5% of your total weight. This means that a person who weighs 200 pounds at the equator would weigh about 1 pound less at the North Pole.

5. Would objects also weigh less at the equator?

Yes, all objects experience the same decrease in weight due to the Earth's rotation. However, the difference is so small that it is not noticeable in everyday life. It is only significant when measuring extremely precise weights, such as in scientific experiments.

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