answersLogoWhite

0

Over a distance of 1 mile, the curvature of the Earth causes a drop of about 8 inches. This means that if you were to lay a straight line along the Earth's surface for 1 mile, the two ends would be about 8 inches lower than if you were to measure the distance in a straight vertical line.

User Avatar

AnswerBot

1y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Astronomy

Why does the Earth appear flat but is actually round?

Because the Earth is very large. If the Earth were flat, we would expect a curvature rate of zero inches per mile. As it is, the Earth is not flat, and it's curvature rate is 8 inches per mile. 63,360 inches are in a mile, and the 8 inch drop is spread over that distance. Our eyes are not able to detect an approximately 1/10,000th of an inch drop off per inch. In simple terms, the curvature is so gradual that we can't see it!


Why is it that ships disappear over the horizon?

Ships appear to disappear over the horizon due to the curvature of the Earth. As a ship moves away from an observer, it eventually reaches a point where the curvature of the Earth blocks the line of sight between the observer and the ship, making it seem as though the ship has disappeared.


When is the sun completally over Earth's axis?

The Sun is over Earth's equator during the equinoxes, which occur around March 20th (spring equinox) and September 22nd (fall equinox) each year. This is when day and night are approximately equal in duration all over the world.


Why does the moon not fall down?

The moon orbits the earth, it could be said that it is falling down, but it keeps missing the earth. (Over simplified).


How does the moons gravitational force affect the crust of the earth?

The gravitational force of the moon causes tidal bulges in the Earth's crust, leading to the rise and fall of ocean tides. This gravitational interaction between the moon and the Earth also contributes to the phenomenon of Earth's rotation slowing down over time.

Related Questions

Why do ships seem to disappear over the horizon from the bottom upwards?

Ships appear to disappear over the horizon from the bottom upwards due to the curvature of the Earth. As a ship moves away from an observer on the shore, the bottom part of the ship becomes obscured by the curvature of the Earth before the top part, creating the illusion that the ship is sinking into the horizon.


What is curvature of earth?

The curvature of the Earth refers to the gradual slope or curve of the Earth's surface away from a straight horizontal line. This curvature is what causes the horizon to appear as it does, and it is also a key factor in determining how far one can see to the horizon. The Earth's curvature is most prominent over long distances or when viewing large bodies of water.


3 reasons why the earth is round?

The curvature of the Earth can be observed through the way ships disappear over the horizon. The Earth's shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse is curved, indicating a spherical shape. Satellite images show a round Earth with consistent curvature across the globe.


Why does the Earth appear flat but is actually round?

Because the Earth is very large. If the Earth were flat, we would expect a curvature rate of zero inches per mile. As it is, the Earth is not flat, and it's curvature rate is 8 inches per mile. 63,360 inches are in a mile, and the 8 inch drop is spread over that distance. Our eyes are not able to detect an approximately 1/10,000th of an inch drop off per inch. In simple terms, the curvature is so gradual that we can't see it!


Why is it that ships disappear over the horizon?

Ships appear to disappear over the horizon due to the curvature of the Earth. As a ship moves away from an observer, it eventually reaches a point where the curvature of the Earth blocks the line of sight between the observer and the ship, making it seem as though the ship has disappeared.


What has to happen to cause an object in orbit to fall toward earth?

a object is a thing earth can fall by leaning over.


Why do ships disappear over the horizon?

Ships disappear over the horizon due to the curvature of the Earth. As a ship moves away from an observer, the Earth's surface curves downward, eventually blocking the view of the ship from sight.


How high is mile high sex?

Serious? A mile up. Mile high sex is performed on an airplane, hence the mile high club. Actually the highest, mile high sex would have to be over the dead sea as you fly over Israel because that is the lowest point on Earth.


What does the sun do when fall equinox is over?

Nothing. The Earth changes.


What is the evidence of the Earth being a sphere?

The curvature of the Earth's surface observed in photographs taken from high altitudes, such as from space, airplanes, and mountains, indicates a spherical shape. Additionally, the phenomenon of ships disappearing hull-first over the horizon as they sail away provides evidence of the Earth's curvature. The way the Earth's shadow moves across the Moon during a lunar eclipse also supports the spherical shape of the Earth.


Why does the moon and the sun can't fall?

The moon does fall toward the earth, but it is in pseudo-equilibrium with its momentum. Think of the moon as a baseball that's been batted so hard, it actually falls over the horizon -- over the curvature of the earth. It is in freefall around the earth. It circles around the Earth which circles around the sun, but if the Earth and Sun were to somehow suddenly not exist, the Moon would travel in a straight line instead of in a circle. The Earth actually does the same to the Sun -- the Earth falls over the Sun's horizon. Earth's gravity is strong, and no human astronaut has actually ever escaped it -- the reason astronauts experience weightlessness in orbit is not because the earth's gravity no longer affects them (if it did not, the spacecraft they are in would fly off into deep space instead of orbitting the earth), it is because they are in freefall; you would obtain the same effect if you were in an airplane plummeting straight down toward the earth.


What is the impact of the curvature of the Earth on the line of sight between two distant points?

The curvature of the Earth affects the line of sight between two distant points by causing objects to appear lower than they actually are. This can result in obstacles blocking the direct line of sight between the two points, especially over long distances.