Does the rotation of the earth affect the weight an object at different places?
1 Answer
Apr 1, 2015
Rotation of the Earth does create a small difference in gravity, depending on where you are.
Near the equator, there is a greater centrifugal force, that partly counteracts the force of gravity. Also, the Earth is a bit wider at those place (the so-called 'equatorial bulge'), so you're a tiny bit farther from the center of the Earth.
All this leads to a very small difference in gravity, in the order of a few tenths of a percent.
In other words: The person-scales you got from the North Pole last Xmas might let you lose an ounce or two at the Equator...
