Taking into account the earth's rotation and its bulging, evaluate the following statements: (A) There are locations outside the earth where the value of g equals its value at the equator. (B) There are locations outside the earth where the value of g equals its value at the poles.

Step-by-step solution

The value of acceleration due to gravity g on the surface of the Earth is maximum at the poles ( g_p ) and minimum at the equator ( g_e ) due to the Earth's equatorial bulge and its rotation. As we move above the Earth's surface, the value of g decreases continuously and approaches zero at infinity. If we move vertically upwards from the poles, the value of g decreases from g_p to 0 . Since g_p > g_e > 0 , there must be some height above the poles where the value of g is exactly equal to g_e . Thus, there are locat