Gravitational Pull and Acceleration: Earth vs. Moon

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon, highlighting that they exert equal gravitational force on each other due to Newton's Third Law. However, the acceleration experienced by each body differs because the Moon has significantly less mass than the Earth. Consequently, while both bodies pull on each other with the same force, the Moon accelerates more due to its lower mass. The formula F = G M1 M2 / R^2 is used to illustrate this relationship, where F represents the gravitational force between the two. Ultimately, the Earth and Moon exert equal gravitational pull, but the Moon experiences greater acceleration.
justinbaker
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Which pulls harder gravitationally? the Earth on the moon, or the moon on the
earth? Which accelerated more?


i know this is easy, but don't they pull the same, and accelerate the same?
 
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justinbaker said:
Which pulls harder gravitationally? the Earth on the moon, or the moon on the
earth? Which accelerated more?


i know this is easy, but don't they pull the same, and accelerate the same?

If you used the formula F = G M1 M2 / R^2 tell me what does F represent

does F represent the force Earth exerts on the moon or the moon exerts on Earth or both??
 
justinbaker said:
Which pulls harder gravitationally? the Earth on the moon, or the moon on the
earth? Which accelerated more?


i know this is easy, but don't they pull the same, and accelerate the same?

Newton's Third Law gives you the answer to the first part - they pull at each other with equal force. For the second part, ask yourself if the same force is applied to two objects which will undergo the greater acceleration - the more massive object or the less massive object?
 
so they pull the same, but the moon will accelerate more because it has a smaller masss
 

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