Flattening

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/flattening

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific notation for earth?Earth's flattening is approximately 1/298.257
2. What is the jupiter's flattening?Jupiter has a flattening value of approximately 1/15.4 due to rapid rotation
3. What does flattening mean in math?Flattening measures how much a shape is squished from a perfect sphere. It uses the formula f = (a - b) / a, where a is the longest radius and b is the shortest.
4. Why is Earth not a perfect sphere?Earth's rotation makes it bulge at the equator and flatten at the poles. This gives Earth a flattening of about 1/298.257.

Ellipsoid of Revolution: A 3D shape formed by rotating an ellipse around one of its axes; a spheroid.
Geodesy: The science of measuring and understanding the Earth's geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field.
Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between an image's width and its height, often expressed as two numbers separated by a colon.