6356752

6356752 is the rounded value of the Earth's polar radius, expressed in meters. It corresponds to the semi-minor axis of the WGS84 reference ellipsoid, which models the Earth as an oblate spheroid rather than a perfect sphere. In this model, the polar radius is about 6,356,752.3142 meters, while the equatorial radius is about 6,378,137.0 meters. The two radii reflect the planet’s equatorial bulge caused by rotation.

These ellipsoidal parameters are used in geodesy, cartography, and satellite navigation to convert between geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude, height) and Cartesian coordinates, and to perform accurate map projections. The difference between the equatorial and polar radii defines the flattening factor, f = (a − b)/a, which for WGS84 is approximately 1/298.257223563. This flattening influences calculations of distances, areas, and geodetic datums across the globe.

6356752 itself is commonly cited as a convenient rounded figure for the polar radius in practical contexts, such as GIS datasets and software configurations, where exact decimal precision is unnecessary. Related concepts include the Earth's radius variants (equatorial, mean, authalic) and the broader concept of reference ellipsoids used in surveying and navigation.