Earth's polar radius, often denoted as "r," is the distance from the center of the Earth to a point on the Earth's surface near either the North Pole or the South Pole. It represents the Earth's radius when measured from its center to a point along its polar axis. The polar radius is shorter than the equatorial radius because the Earth is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator due to its rotation.
The approximate value for Earth's polar radius is about 6,357 kilometers (or approximately 3,949 miles). This value may vary slightly depending on the reference ellipsoid used for modeling the Earth's shape, but the given value is a commonly used and accurate approximation for most purposes.
In contrast to the polar radius, Earth's equatorial radius (measured from the center to a point on the equator) is slightly longer, approximately 6,378.1 kilometers (3,963.2 miles).
A "microinch" is a unit of length used to measure extremely small distances or dimensions. It is equal to one millionth of an inch or 0.000001 inches. In scientific notation, it can be represented as 1 µin (pronounced as "one microinch").
Microinches are typically used in precision engineering, manufacturing, and industries where very fine tolerances and high levels of accuracy are required. This unit allows for the measurement of surface finishes, material thicknesses, and other minute details with extreme precision.
To put it into perspective, a microinch is much smaller than a human hair, which is typically several thousand micrometers (µm) or microns in diameter.