- #1
Poppinkrey
- 4
- 0
Let's say that the Moon has a mass of 7.4 x 10^22 kg. What's the force that the Earth, and the Sun exerts on the Moon?
DoggerDan said:One could also use its mean radius, mass, and orbital velocity...
of its orbit.Drakkith said:Why does radius matter?
DaveC426913 said:of its orbit.
The force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is called the gravitational force. It is the force of attraction between any two objects with mass, and it is directly proportional to the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon is what keeps the Moon in its orbit around the Earth. This force constantly pulls the Moon towards the Earth, causing it to move in a circular or elliptical path.
No, the force of the Earth on the Moon is not constant. It depends on the distance between the two objects, which changes as the Moon orbits around the Earth. The closer the Moon is to the Earth, the stronger the gravitational force will be.
The force that the Earth exerts on the Moon varies, but on average it is about 1.98 x 10^20 Newtons. This force is strong enough to keep the Moon in its orbit and also causes the tides on Earth.
If the force of the Earth on the Moon suddenly disappeared, the Moon would continue moving in a straight line tangent to its orbit. It would no longer be held in its orbit around the Earth and would eventually drift off into space.