A spheroid is an ellipsoid of revolution obtained by rotating an ellipse about a principal axis. Rotation about the shorter axis gives an oblate spheroid; rotation about the longer axis gives a prolate spheroid. Thus the oblate form is a member of the general family.
A prolate spheroid is an ellipsoid with two equal shorter semiaxes and a longer symmetry-axis semiaxis. Its meridional section is an ellipse rotated about its major axis. In the coordinates with , a fixed regular has equatorial radius and polar radius ; its focal separation is independent of , giving a confocal family.
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A spheroid is a three-dimensional geometric shape that is similar to a sphere but is slightly flattened or elongated along one or more axes. The most common types of spheroids are: 1. **Prolate Spheroid**: This shape is elongated along one axis, meaning it is longer in one direction than in the others. An example of a prolate spheroid is an American football.