NDA 2016 Physics question

The free fall acceleration g increases as one proceeds, at sea level, from the equator toward either pole. The reason is

(A)Earth is a sphere with same density everywhere
(B)Earth is a sphere with different density at the polar regions than in the equatorial regions
(C)Earth is approximately an ellipsoid having its equatorial radius greater than its polar radius by 21 kmCorrect
(D)Earth is approximately an ellipsoid having its equatorial radius smaller than its polar radius by 21 km

Answer: (C)

Solution

The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid: its equatorial radius is about 21 km greater than its polar radius. Since , a point at the pole is

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Question ID VK-030569