Mechanics: Flattening Earth

PIRA Class: 1D52.10

Purpose:
To demonstrate how rotation causes Earth's equatorial bulge.

Description:
The rings initially form a sphere, but as the Rotator begins to spin the upper pole slides downward as the center of the rings bulge outward resulting in an ellipsoid shape.

The central force required to keep something in a circle is mv^2/R. As the rings begin to rotate there is not enough force to keep the center of the rings moving in a circle at their current radius so the center of the rings moves outward to a larger radius.

Equipment:
Rings modeling Earth, Cenco Rotator

Location:
Shelf 144 (ring Earth), Shelf 511 (Cenco Rotator)