Ask A Scientist General Science Archive

Question:
A fourth grader asks, "Why is the Earth round, if it feels flat to me?"
 j e gonzalez

Answer:
Excellent question. Until you actually go around the
world, or think of an experiment to test it, you
really have to rely on what other people have discovered.
But for a long time, many people thought the same thing,
so it's a very reasonable question to ask.
The next time one of the space shuttles goes up,
pay attention to the news and watch for pictures of
the Earth that they take from space. You will clearly see
that the surface of the Earth is curved.
Now, the question is "Why can't I see that?"
Picture if you will an ant who is on a ball the size of
a house. As far as the ant can tell, the surface on which
he's standing is flat because he is really small compared to
the size of the ball. That's why the Earth seems flat to you...
but it's not.
 
Hope that helped!
topper