Answer to Question #223672 in Field Theory for Ebrahim

Question

show that apparent acceleration of a body is least at the equator and the greatest at the poles?

Answer 1

It is because at the equator the centrifugal force due to the spinning of the Earth is at its maximum, and vanishes at the poles. This means that the attractive force of gravity is slightly reduced because it is directed towards the center of the Earth, while the centripetal force is directed outward from the center. The effective acceleration of gravity at the poles is

$$980.665\frac{cm}{s^2}$$

while at the equator it is

$$3.39\frac{cm}{s^2}$$

less due to the centrifugal force. .