A body weighs 5 kg on equator. At the poles, it is likely to weigh

A body's weight is the gravitational force exerted on it by the Earth. This weight varies due to two primary factors: the Earth's shape and its rotation. First, the Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid with an equatorial bulge [1]. Consequently, the poles are closer to the Earth's center than the equator, leading to a stronger gravitational pull at the poles. Second, the Earth's rotation generates a centrifugal force that is maximum at the equator and zero at the poles [2]. This centrifugal force acts outward, effectively canceling a small portion of gravity at the equator [1]. Therefore, the effective gravitational acceleration (g) is higher at the poles (approx. 9.86 m/s") than at the equator (approx. 9.76 m/s") [1]. Since weight equals mass times gravity, a body weighing 5 kg at the equator will weigh more than 5 kg at the poles.

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Forces Behind The Drifting Of Continents (According to Wegener) > p. 95
2. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: The Origin and Evolution of the Earth > Indirect Sources > p. 19