why is the world round ? Please actual scientific explanations no jokes and so forth Thanks People?
821321
All the mass on the earth is being pulled in by gravity, you and me included. the more mass you have the more an object pulls towards itself and others (basically heavy things have a sort of pull, so when you are by a huge mountain you are actually being pulled towards it) \n\nThe easiest way of all the mass to be pulled together is in a sphere, there are no corners and its cannot be compressed without other areas moving further away from the centre, so theoreticlaly the earth SHOULD be a sphere\n\nBUT it isn't; due to its rotation it is fatter than it is tall, because of mass being moved out by centrifugal force. \n\nhope this helps
799943
because the earth is tilted
44602
Why are any of the planets round?
320933
Two reasons:\n\nPrimary = spinning + gravity = natural inclination of the material to slowly reach equilibrium. Anything that is not "round" gets pulled/shifted toward the center of gravity (the center of the Earth). The spinning helps this process over billions of years.\n\nSecondary = weather. Erosion constantly smoothing out "bumps" (mountains).\n\nIf this is the best answer, please vote it the best answer. Thanks!
770633
There is no "anti-clockwise" in the universe.  If you look at anything rotating from the other side, it goes the other way.
363001
Some people think its because of the moon. The theory is that a huge asteroid hit the earth and then bounced of into orbit around the earth. This supposedly caused the earth to have a tilt to its axis.
487526
Sounds like a Math/Science type question to me. Why are you posting it here?\n\nBesides, I have the the slightest idea.
35969
The Earth rotates (spins around).  Sometimes a side is facing the Sun and is in daytime.  Sometimes it is not and is in nighttime.
1007231
Current information is insufficient to give a correct answer. Once we explore more of the universe, maybe we could have a logical answer.\nst
77085
Because it is refracting light that is coming from all around. When you see a rainbow produced by a prism it looks straight but if you were able to enlarge it enough it would be round.
356041
There are various things that you might want to read about, horizon theory & donut theory might be a good place to start. Much as we once thought the world was flat and we'd fall off the edge, but then discovered that is was round when we sailed from one side of the world to the other the same is thought (by some) to also be true about the universe, you travel in a line for long enough, you start off where you left off!
465729
Two possibilities not previously mentioned: first, phone your various friends around the world, and ask them the time! You will then find out that the sun is at a different height in the sky at different places. So at least the world is not flat, since the sun is very much farther out than the distances between any two points on earth.\n\nSecond, wait for a lunar eclipse. This is the Earth's shadow projected on the moon. It is round. The Earth is not a disk (see first experiment) but casts a round shadow: a sphere seems indicated. In fact, it is a sliughtly flattened sphere (ellipsoid, in fancy language)
9937
It's because the world in question is ruled by unicorns and merry elves. In "that" world it's only natural that everything is either square or circle. Here of course we have irregular shapes and other geometrical figures like triangles, trapezoids and such. Must sound very strange to you I believe.\n\nUs earthlings, we have strange ways.
157120
This goes along with the question of why don't we fall off the earth if it is round. The answer is because gravity is holding us (and the water) down.
11338
The earth is round. There are some physical proofs below, assuming you don't trust the pictures of the Earth taken from the various space programs.
12149
****Edit based on further details from asker *****\nSailing around the world is sailing within the sperhical confines of our planet.  If there were no athmosphere, or gravity, then we would simply fall off the earth.  However, as gravity is pushing us down, and is affecting the winds, ect within the athmosphere, we are bound to the surface of the water.  \n\nEven though a sphere is included in the define of spheroid, it is a type of spheroid, not the inclusive answer.  The fact that gravity pushes down on us from all around, mainly because the earth is spinning so fast, and other more complicated reasons; the sphereoid holds whatever is on it's surface down to adhere to the confines and shape of such a surface.\n\nEven if the world were flat, or a flattned sphereoid, we woudln't fall off, instead, we'd loop around to the otherside becasue gravity wouldn't allow us to actually 'drop' off the side of the cliff.  The inverse gravity on the other side of the plane would pull us to it's confine, or surface.\n\nSo, there's your answer.  Sorry i didn't get it more clear the first time.\n\nMathamatically you can say that gravity pushes us from all around using a tangent direction.  That means that no matter the point you are on this earth, gravity is pushing down on you within the same confines as any other like region.  As to falling off the earth, if gravity didn't exist, we wouldn't 'fall' exactly; we would more likely be thrown or float off the earth (thrown if the world is spinning).\n\n****End Edit.******\n\nThe world indeed is a sphere, but it is not a perfect sphere, due to the rotation of the earth around it's axis, as well as the rotation of the earth around the sun (central axis), the spinning and speed of the planet make it more of a spehere that jiggles, sometimes squeezed, and sometimes elongated.  But, not by much :) Just a bit :)
1069004
For the most part, the atmosphere moves along with the surface of the earth. On the other hand, winds going in any direction tend to grind down mountain peaks.\n\nHowever, if the Earth were not fairly close to round, then the molten lava inside the earth would rupture the crust and deform the earth into a round shape. The main reason the Earth is round is gravity, not wind.