Question

Why are all planets almost spherical in shape?

Because a planet's gravity pulls equally from all sides
Because large bodies in space break apart due to gravity
Because gravity pulls all material towards the edge of a planet
Because rotation pushes outwards the material inside the planet

Answer 1

The primary reason why all planets are almost spherical in shape is **because a planet's gravity pulls equally from all sides**.

When a celestial body becomes sufficiently massive (having enough gravitational pull), it creates a force that draws material toward its center. This gravitational force acts uniformly in all directions, which promotes a rounded shape. Over time, if the body is large enough and has enough mass, it will tend to become spherical to minimize the potential energy.

While rotation can cause a slight bulging at the equator (leading to an oblate spheroid shape, as seen in planets like Earth and Jupiter), the fundamental reason for the spherical shape remains the isotropic nature of gravitational force acting on the mass of the planet.