July 13, 2024
A person weighs more at the North Pole than at the Equator. Because Earth bulges out in the middle, a person standing on one of the poles is slightly closer to the planet’s central mass and experiences more gravitational pull. Also, a person on the Equator is subject to the spinning Earth’s centrifugal force, which counteracts the pull of gravity minutely (the poles do not spin and therefore generate no centrifugal force). A person weighing 200 pounds at the North Pole would weigh one or two pounds less at the Equator.
Get One Good Fact delivered to your inbox every day.
-
Apr 21
Which huge nation has only one time zone? -
Apr 22
Why is a zero score in tennis called “love”? -
Apr 23
What country beat the U.S. to the Moon? -
Apr 24
What other mammal has a sense of rhythm? -
Apr 25
Which country produces the most oil? -
Apr 26
When did Europeans really arrive in North America? -
Apr 27
What’s the best-selling novel of all time? -
Apr 28
How did the Mona Lisa get so famous? -
Apr 29
Where is the world’s longest tunnel? -
Apr 30
What makes strawberries so unusual?