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btrkun
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Homework Statement
Is the sun's gravitational pull on the moon greater or less than the Earth's pull on the moon? Well, the sun doesn't steal our moon away, so the Earth must be pulling harder, right? Well, if you do that calculations you will find that it is not true! The sun pulls more than the earth, so why don't we lose the moon?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
The sun's gravitational pull is greater than Earth's. Essentially, the moon and Earth orbit the sun, together, as one entity at about the same speed. Knowing that the distance between the center of Earth and the moon is less than the distance between the center of the sun and Earth helps us to understand that the gravitational force of Earth has a greater affect on the moon than the sun does, even though the sun's gravitational pull is about twice as that of earth's. However, despite not 'losing' the moon, the moon is drifting further and further away from Earth at approximately 2 cm/yr.
Good?