Gravitational Force of the moon

In summary, the Moon does revolve around the Sun, but the Earth's gravitational force is stronger and keeps the Moon in its orbit around the Earth. The slight difference in acceleration due to the Sun's gravity is not enough to pull the Moon away from the Earth's influence.
  • #1
pavi_elex
9
0
When sun puts more gravitational force(numerical values) on moon than earth, then why moon does not revolve around the sun like earth?
 
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  • #2
But the moon does revolve around the sun. It also revolves around the earth.
 
  • #3
There are a couple of ways to look at this. One is to note that the Moon does orbit the Sun. (If you plot the heliocentric path of the Moon it follows a wavy path that moves silghty in and out from the Sun, but is always curved towards the Sun.

So why isn't the Moon pulled away from the Earth by the Sun? Because both the Earth and Moon orbit the Sun together. The force the Sun exerts in pulling the Moon away is not due to the force the Sun directly exerts on the Moon, but due to the difference between the acceleration of the moon due to the Sun's gravity and the acceleration of the Earth due to the Sun's gravity. And this difference is smaller than the influence the Earth's gravity has on the Moon.
 

1. What is the gravitational force of the moon?

The gravitational force of the moon is approximately 1.62 m/s², which is about one-sixth of the Earth's gravitational force.

2. How does the gravitational force of the moon affect tides on Earth?

The gravitational force of the moon is the primary cause of tides on Earth. The moon's gravitational pull creates a bulge of water on the side of the Earth facing the moon, and a corresponding bulge on the opposite side due to the Earth's rotation.

3. Is the gravitational force of the moon the same on all parts of the Earth?

No, the gravitational force of the moon varies slightly depending on an object's distance from the moon. This is why the tides can be higher or lower depending on the location on Earth.

4. How does the gravitational force of the moon compare to the gravitational force of the sun?

The gravitational force of the moon is about 28% of the gravitational force of the sun. However, because the sun is much farther away from Earth, its gravitational pull on the tides is about half of the moon's pull.

5. Can the gravitational force of the moon affect the Earth's orbit?

Yes, the gravitational force of the moon can cause small variations in the Earth's orbit. This is known as lunar perturbation and is one of the factors that contribute to the Earth's irregular orbit around the sun.

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