Question

Radius of the earth is estimated as :

• A. 6371 km
• B. 2900 km
• C. 3400km
• D. 12742 km

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 6371 km

The Earth's radius is not a single value because the planet is not a perfect sphere. Instead, it is an oblate spheroid, meaning it bulges at the equator and is slightly flattened at the poles. Due to this, there are different measurements for the radius:

• Equatorial radius: The distance from the center to the equator, which is approximately 6,378 km.

• Polar radius: The distance from the center to the North or South Pole, which is approximately 6,357 km.

However, a globally average radius is most commonly used for general calculations and is estimated to be 6,371 km. This value is a good approximation that takes into account the Earth's non-uniform shape.