What would happen if the Earth was flat?

What is the history and characteristics of the Earth?

First, nebulae in the solar system were formed, and these nebulae rotated and contracted to form the primitive Sun. Several materials, such as dust, were then combined around the Sun’s orbit to create a primitive planet, an asteroid. The impact of many asteroids increased the size and mass of the Earth, and the Earth became a sea of magma. Subsequently, the impact of the asteroid reduced the Earth’s temperature, resulting in the formation of a primitive sea, and over time, life in the primitive sea (Alden, 2019). The Earth is the only planet where life lives, and the presence of water and air necessary for the survival of life characterizes it.

Why do some people think the Earth is flat?

People in the past did not know what the Earth looked like because the technology was not advanced. Therefore, they believed that there was a cliff if they dug to the end of the sea because they thought the Earth was flat. With advances in science and technology, satellite imagery and space exploration have confirmed that the Earth is round. However, some people still reject the fact that the Earth is round because they think it is shaped like a disk around the North Pole (Brazil, 2020).

How does a flat Earth compare to ours?

If the Earth is flat, it will be very different from what it is like when it is a round-shaped Earth. The Earth will lose its gravity, making it impossible to walk on the ground, and we will lose our muscles because of reduced muscle use. Also, although the Earth orbits the solar system due to gravity, the Earth will be pushed out of the solar system if gravity is lost (Pappas, 2019).

How do we know the Earth is round?

In the past, people thought that the Earth was flat, so they thought that if they went to the wider sea, they would fall into a cliff. However, Christopher Columbus sailed to find the New World and eventually discovered that the Earth was round (DeLong, 2018). Currently, space exploration can confirm that the Earth is round, and satellite images can also observe the shape of the round Earth. Also, when a lunar eclipse occurs, we can see that the Earth is round, checking its round shadow (Schottlender, 2018).

Conclusion

The Earth is a round-shaped planet. However, people lived in an era when science and technology were not advanced, and some people now think that the Earth is flat. If the Earth were flat, gravity would not exist, and it would be very different from what the Earth is like today. However, the Earth also has gravity, and since it has been confirmed through various methods that the Earth is round, we should notice that the flat Earth theory is not correct.

References

Alden, A. (2019). How Earth Was Born. [online] ThoughtCo. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/birth-of-the-earth-1441042 [Accessed 25 November 2022].

Brazil, R. (2020). Fighting flat-Earth theory. [online] Physics World. Available at: https://physicsworld.com/a/fighting-flat-earth-theory/ [Accessed 25 November 2022].

DeLong, W. (2018). People Before Columbus Didn’t Believe The Earth Was Flat, But Here’s Why Some Think So. [online] All That’s Interesting. Available at: https://allthatsinteresting.com/flat-earth-myth-before-columbus [Accessed 26 November 2022].

Pappas, S. (2019). What If the Earth Was Flat? [online] livescience.com. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/what-if-flat-earth.html [Accessed 25 November 2022].

Schottlender, M. (2018). Consent Form | Popular Science. [online] Popsci.com. Available at: https://www.popsci.com/10-ways-you-can-prove-earth-is-round/ [Accessed 26 November 2022].

By Hyein Moon

She is a Concordia International University student.

No widgets found. Go to Widget page and add the widget in Offcanvas Sidebar Widget Area.
Search