Gravitation

Question

Given below are two statements : One is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R.

Assertion A : If we move from poles to equator, the direction of acceleration due to gravity of earth always points towards the center of earth without any variation in its magnitude.

Reason R : At equator, the direction of acceleration due to the gravity is towards the center of earth.

In the light of above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Accepted Answer

Option D. Assertion A is false. While the direction of acceleration due to gravity does always point towards the center of the Earth, its magnitude actually varies from the poles to the equator. This is due to the Earth's rotation and the fact that Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid, meaning it's slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator.

More on Gravitation

Gravitation

More on Gravitation