Is it always the case that the smaller planetary object revolves around the larger one?

Answer 1

Oops. There is a problem with the question. You used the words smaller and larger. These may usually be the appearance of planets and moons, but in fact, these are the wrong words when you ask about objects in orbit.

The variables that determine orbital paths are mass, relative vectors and speeds.

Size (smaller or larger) is not one of the variables. It may be true that a larger object - of the same material - has more mass than a smaller one, but not always. A large steel bucket has less mass than a cannon ball that can fit inside it.

A dwarf star could be very small. Smaller than the Earth. A planet the like the Earth would orbit the star, even if the star was smaller.

Planets and moons are in orbit around each other. An orbit is a kind of ellipse. An ellipse is a kind of like a circle, but it has two centers rather than one. The objects travel around one of the centers. If the two objects are exactly the same mass and speed and in orbit, the two centers could be exactly between them and the orbits would be circular. Their size would not matter.

However, in the real universe, most objects are made of plasma, iron, silicates, and other materials that cause them to form stars, planets, asteroids, planetoids, comets, and gas and dust clouds. In most cases, the larger ones - the most massive ones - are orbited by smaller ones - the less massive ones. But is some cases the larger ones are very tenuous and although larger, they still orbit the more massive object.

;-D The huge Oort cloud is about 6 light years in diameter. It is in orbit around our little Sun!

Answer 2

It's all about mass. As mentioned before, two objects orbit their center of mass.

If the density of particular object is very high or low then a larger object can orbit a smaller one. For example, the earth could orbit a smaller neutron star... in theory at least.

Answer 3

Because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, building on Keppler's third law of motion,Newton realized that in the planet-Sun system the planet does not orbit around a stationary Sun. Instead, Newton proposed that both the planet and the Sun orbited around the common center of mass for the planet-Sun system.
The same law applies to the Earth and the Moon.

Answer 4

Earth-Moon and Pluto-Charon are stable examples of double planets. they are each and each a binary gadget the place one revolves around the different. Earth, even if is eighty one circumstances the mass of the moon. So the barycenter is only outdoors of earth in this form of style that earth revolves ever so little that it is not observed. And as a pal pronounced right here, sometimes the difference between the two bodies are so substantial that the barycenter might lie interior the bigger physique itself.

Answer 5

Usually yes. this is because the larger planet usually has a greater gravitational pull than the smaller.

But there are planets that circle around each other as well as stars, like binary stars or pulsars.

Answer 6

Actually, both orbit around the common center of mass. If one body is much more massive than the other then this center is close to the center of the massive body. If they are about the same mass, like double stars, then you can clearly see the motion.

Answer 7

Usually yes

Answer 8

Usually yes.

Answer 9

No, that never happens. They both orbit round their mutual center of mass.