Spheroid

Spheroid is a type of geometric shape that is similar to a sphere. It is an ellipsoid where two of the three axes are equal in length. There are two types of spheroids: oblate spheroids and prolate spheroids.

An oblate spheroid is formed by rotating an ellipse about its minor axis. This results in a shape that is flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. The Earth is an example of an oblate spheroid, as it is slightly wider at the equator than at the poles due to its rotation.

A prolate spheroid, on the other hand, is formed by rotating an ellipse about its major axis. This results in a shape that is elongated at the poles and compressed at the equator. An example of a prolate spheroid is the shape of a rugby ball or an American football.

Spheroids have various applications in fields such as astronomy, geodesy, and physics. In astronomy, spheroids are used to model celestial bodies like planets and stars. In geodesy, the shape of the Earth is often approximated as an oblate spheroid. In physics, spheroids are used in the study of fluid dynamics and electromagnetism.

See also

• Ellipsoid
• Oblate spheroid
• Prolate spheroid
• Geodesy
• Astronomy
• Physics

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