5 Questions
What provides the centripetal force for the moon's motion around the earth?
Force of attraction of the earth
Why does the earth not move towards an apple when the apple falls towards the earth?
The mass of the earth is much larger than the mass of the apple
Why do we not see the earth moving towards the moon?
The mass of the earth is much larger than the mass of the moon
What did Newton conclude from the motion of the planets around the Sun?
There exists a force between the Sun and the planets
According to the third law of motion, does the apple attract the earth?
Yes, the apple does attract the earth
Study Notes
Gravity and Motion
- The centripetal force for the moon's motion around the earth is provided by the gravitational force between the earth and the moon.
- The earth does not move towards an apple when it falls because the mass of the earth is enormous compared to the mass of the apple, resulting in an imperceptible acceleration of the earth towards the apple.
- We do not see the earth moving towards the moon because the moon's mass is relatively small compared to the earth's, resulting in an acceleration of the earth towards the moon that is too small to be noticeable.
Newton's Conclusions
- From the motion of the planets around the Sun, Newton concluded that the force of gravity is a universal force that acts between all objects with mass.
- According to the third law of motion, the apple attracts the earth with the same force that the earth attracts the apple, demonstrating the mutual nature of gravitational force.
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