Understanding the Shape of the Earth

What was a common historical fear about the Earth's shape?

• That it was a pyramid

• That it was a cube

• That it was a donut

• That it was flat and people could fall off

Who was the philosopher that first suggested the Earth was round based on logic?

• Pythagoras

• Aristotle

• Socrates

• Plato

What did Aristotle observe during a lunar eclipse that suggested the Earth is round?

• The stars align in a circle

• The moon's color changes

• The Earth's shadow on the moon is round

• The moon disappears completely

What phenomenon is explained by the sinking ship theory?

• Ships disappear due to fog

• Ships appear to sink due to Earth's curvature

• Ships actually sink in the ocean

• Ships are pulled down by gravity

What does the sinking ship theory demonstrate about Earth's shape?

• Earth is flat

• Earth is a cube

• Earth is a sphere

• Earth is a pyramid

How does gravity support the idea of a spherical Earth?

• Gravity is stronger at the poles

• Gravity is consistent across Earth's surface

• Gravity is weaker at the equator

• Gravity varies randomly

What would happen to a person's weight if Earth were not a sphere?

• It would be zero

• It would remain the same everywhere

• It would vary dramatically in different locations

• It would double

What was significant about the photograph taken by the Apollo 17 mission?

• It showed Earth as a flat disc

• It was taken from Mars

• It was the first full view of Earth

• It showed Earth as a cube

What did the Galileo spacecraft's time-lapse video demonstrate?

• Earth is a pyramid

• Earth is stationary

• Earth is a rotating sphere

• Earth is flat

What is the most convincing modern evidence of Earth's shape?

• Ancient texts

• Drawings by explorers

• Photographs and videos from space

• Myths and legends