How does mass affect the gravitational pull of the Sun, Earth, and Moon?

Physics · High School · Mon Jan 18 2021

Answered on

Let's consider the Sun, Earth, and Moon:

Sun and Earth:

  • The Sun is much more massive than the Earth. The mass of the Sun is approximately 330,000 times the mass of the Earth.
  • Because of this significant difference in mass, the gravitational force exerted by the Sun on the Earth is much larger than the gravitational force exerted by the Earth on the Sun.
  • The gravitational force between the Sun and the Earth is what keeps the Earth in orbit around the Sun.

Earth and Moon:

  • The Earth is much more massive than the Moon. The mass of the Earth is about 81 times the mass of the Moon.
  • Similar to the Sun-Earth system, the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon is what keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth.

Sun and Moon:

  • While the Sun is much more massive than the Moon, the distance between the Sun and the Moon is also significantly greater than the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
  • The gravitational force between the Sun and the Moon is present, but it is weaker than the gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon and between the Earth and the Sun.

In summary, the masses of celestial bodies affect the gravitational forces between them, and the resulting gravitational forces play a crucial role in determining the motions and orbits of these objects in space.