spherical

Everyday

1. Spherical means shaped like a ball, round in every direction, like a sphere. tree →
2. In maths, a spherical object has every point on its surface the same distance from the centre. tree →

In the lessons

In maths lessons on 3D shapes, a sphere is round like a ball; things like oranges, marbles and planets are roughly spherical. In science, raindrops, bubbles and the Earth are described as nearly spherical. It is a more formal, exact word than «round».

Examples

• A football is spherical. tree →
• The Earth is almost spherical but a little flat at the poles. tree →
• Bubbles are spherical because of how water pulls on itself. tree →
• Marbles are small spherical glass balls. tree →
• A circle is flat, but a ball is spherical. tree →
• The bead was spherical with a hole through the middle. tree →
• Name three spherical things in the classroom. tree →

Note

Pronounced «SFERR-ik-ul»; spelt with «ph». «Circular» is for flat shapes (a circle), «spherical» for solid shapes (a sphere) — a common trap. In maths a sphere has 1 curved face, no edges and no vertices.