The shape of the Earth is a perfect sphere.

The story behind the answer

False. Earth is not a perfect sphere; it’s an oblate spheroid. As the planet spins, the centrifugal effect makes the equator bulge and the poles flatten slightly. The equatorial radius is about 6,378 km, while the polar radius is about 6,357 km—a difference of roughly 21 km.

Mass is also uneven (mountains, ocean trenches, mantle variations), so the best-fit shape is the geoid—an irregular surface reflecting Earth’s gravity. Satellites and GPS rely on this model to define positions and “sea level.” Memory tip: picture Earth as a slightly squished ball of clay—wider at the waist than at the poles.