Direction of the gravtional force on the earth

In summary, the direction of the gravitational force acting on the Earth at any point during its orbit around the sun can be described in terms of x and y components, with the force always pointing towards the sun. The Earth's orbit is an ellipse due to the inverse square law of gravity.
  • #1
tnutty
326
1
At the moment of the Earth and sun, what is the direction of the gravitational force acting on the earth?

this is practice. So the direction could be either,


y+, y-, x+, x- on a coordinate system as you can imagine.

I am thinking its y+
meaning that its force is pulling?
 
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  • #2
Gravity always acts on the line joining the two bodies, pointing towards the other body. (So the force of gravity on the Earth points towards the sun and that on the sun towards the Earth).

So at any point during the orbit the direction of the force could be any combination of y and x components, provided it is pointing directly towards the sun.
 
  • #3
Hey, thanks, now i understand better.

So i am assuming that the Earth rotates in an oval shape because of the different gravitational force in space.
 
  • #4
tnutty said:
Hey, thanks, now i understand better.

So i am assuming that the Earth rotates in an oval shape because of the different gravitational force in space.

Right, the shape of the Earth's orbit is an ellipse which is a consequence of the fact that gravity scales with the inverse square of the distance.
 

1. What is the direction of the gravitational force on the earth?

The gravitational force on the earth is directed towards the center of the earth. This means that any object on or near the surface of the earth will be pulled towards the center with a force proportional to its mass.

2. Why does the gravitational force on the earth always point towards the center?

This is due to the fact that the earth's mass is distributed evenly throughout its volume, creating a symmetrical gravitational field. The force is always directed towards the center of mass.

3. How does the direction of the gravitational force change as you move away from the earth's surface?

The direction of the gravitational force remains towards the center of the earth as you move away from the surface. However, the strength of the force decreases with distance according to the inverse square law.

4. Can the direction of the gravitational force on the earth change?

No, the direction of the gravitational force on the earth is a fundamental property of the earth's mass and cannot be changed. However, the strength of the force can vary depending on the mass and distance of objects involved.

5. How does the direction of the gravitational force on the earth affect objects in orbit?

The direction of the gravitational force on the earth is what keeps objects in orbit around the earth. The force is always directed towards the center of the earth, causing objects to continuously fall towards the earth but also maintaining their horizontal velocity, resulting in a circular orbit.

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