McqMate
| Q. |
The acceleration due to gravity at the equator – |
| A. | is less than that at the poles |
| B. | is greater than that at the poles |
| C. | is equal to that at the poles |
| D. | does not depend on the earth's centripetal acceleration |
| Answer» A. is less than that at the poles | |
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Explanation: The gravity of Earth, denoted g, refers to the acceleration that the Earth imparts to objects on or near its surface. At latitudes nearer the Equator, the inertia produced by Earth's rotation is stronger than at polar latitudes. This counteracts the Earth's gravity to a small degree - up to a maximum of 0.3% at the Equator - reducing the downward acceleration of falling objects. The second major reason for the difference in gravity at different latitudes is that the Earth's equatorial bulge (itself also caused by inertia) causes objects at the Equator to be farther from the planet's centre than objects at the poles. |
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