Why is the earth round like a ball?

Question

Why is the earth round like a ball?

Answer 1

It is not round, but a "prolate spheroid". The bulge at the equator is due to the centrifugal effect of the Earth spinning about its axis.

:-)

Answer 2

round???my balls aren't round!

MoHe

Answer 3

It is nature.If it is not round when it rotates it will wobble. ( that is it will shake itself )

Answer 4

Actually the Earth is not round, the poles are flat and the Equator bulges a bit.  As if it has a spare tire.  But the planet is spherical in shape because of gravity.  Over a period of time and everything settling, planets will take on a round shape.

Answer 5

It is NOT!

Answer 6

its not, its kinda like a weard egg! but i gues thats not what you mean. its to do with the fact that everything becomes a ball when its only influenced by the even spread of its own gravity! giant cliud of dust gets tighter and tighter what shape is it going to form? its just common sence it becomes a sphere!

Answer 7

The answer to your question is that the forces of gravity are stronger than the strengths of the materials making the earth.  If the earth were smaller like some asteroids, the gravitational forces would not be strong enough to deform the rock.  After a planet reaches a certain size, gravity will form it into a sphere.  The last answer was correct.  Since the earth rotates, the rotational forces result in deformations away from a perfect sphere (into a prolate spheroid).  Also you have to realize that when a planet reaches a certain size, the temperature and pressure a hundred miles down is pretty intense making the rock behave plastically, meaning it is still solid but you can deform it like clay.  This makes it easier for gravity to form it into a "ball".  Moons like Martian moon Phobos is not a sphere because it is not big (massive) enough.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moo...