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The document presents several pieces of evidence supporting the idea that the Earth is spherical, including observations of ships disappearing over the horizon, limited visibility of distant locations, and the visibility of elevated areas. It also compares Earth to other spherical planets in our solar system and cites modern satellite imagery and gravitational measurements that indicate Earth is an oblate spheroid. Overall, the evidence from various sources confirms the Earth's shape as spherical.

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michaelgmichael.13
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1 views

merges work - Copy - Copy

The document presents several pieces of evidence supporting the idea that the Earth is spherical, including observations of ships disappearing over the horizon, limited visibility of distant locations, and the visibility of elevated areas. It also compares Earth to other spherical planets in our solar system and cites modern satellite imagery and gravitational measurements that indicate Earth is an oblate spheroid. Overall, the evidence from various sources confirms the Earth's shape as spherical.

Uploaded by

michaelgmichael.13
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evidence of the shape of the

earth

Group members
1.Michael 5.
Lilian
2.Lubu
6. Michaela
3.Aklesia
4.Adel
Here are several reasons why we know that the
Earth is spherical:
1.Ships and the Horizon: When ships sail
away, they disappear into the horizon bottom-
first. As they approach the horizon, the top of
the ship appears first. This phenomenon occurs
because the Earth’s surface curves away from
our line of sight, creating the illusion of ships
sinking or emerging.
2.Limited Visibility: On a clear day, you can
see the sun and moon in the sky, even though
they are quite far away. However, you cannot
see distant places like Japan when looking west
from the West Coast of North America. This
limitation is due to light traveling in straight
lines and being unable to follow Earth’s curve.
3.Elevated Areas and Visibility: Elevated
areas of land are visible at greater distances
than lower areas. If you stand on a hill or
mountain, you can see farther into the
distance. The curvature of the Earth accounts
for this observation.
4.Other Planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
and Saturn—all visible with the naked eye—are
spherical. In 1781, William Herschel discovered
Uranus using a telescope, and later, Neptune
was also observed to be spherical. If other
planets in our solar system are round, it’s
reasonable to assume that Earth is too.
5.Satellite Imagery and Gravitational
Measurements: Modern satellite imagery and
measurements of Earth’s gravitational field
support the idea that Earth is an oblate
spheroid (flattened at the poles) rather than a
perfect sphere. Earth’s rotation generates
centrifugal force, causing it to bulge at the
Equator.

In summary, evidence from observations, planetary


comparisons, and scientific measurements all point
to the Earth being a spherical (or more precisely,
oblate spheroid) planet. 🌍🌏🌎

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