2007-09-11 15:24:29 · 11 answers · asked by m s 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
A same amount of pulling force is needed to hold on to the force that pushes the moon away from the earth as it revolves around earth. the pulling and pushing force has to be kept in equilibrium so maintain a stable orbit. You could also read up on angular momentum which causes the moon to move further away from the earth every year.
2007-09-11 20:13:09 · answer #1 · answered by Nick 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let me explain it...
One day, while Newton was under an apple tree, an apple fall down on his head. After that, he studied the Theory of Universal Gravitation where he concluded that if the bodies in question have spatial extent, then the gravitational force between them is calculated by summing the contributions of the notional point masses which constitute the bodies. In the limit, as the component point masses become "infinitely small", this entails integrating the force over the extents of the two bodies.In this way it can be shown that an object with a spherically-symmetric distribution of mass exerts the same gravitational attraction on external bodies as if all the object's mass were concentrated at a point at its centre.
2007-09-12 18:33:55 · answer #2 · answered by Jasper 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has to do with Physics. The moon in on an almost circular orbit at almost constant speed. Thus, it has centipetal force by virtue of of this motion. To balance it, there must be a force to pull the moon towards the earth. For example, put an object on a 3 foot string and twirl it around your head (outdoors preferably). Let it go, and it will sail off in the direction it was going when you released it.
2007-09-11 15:31:42 · answer #3 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
to put it simply the earth is bigger than the moon thus having stronger gravity and pulling the moon towards the center of it. But it s not enough for them to collide. if the moon was that same distance away from the sun however it would be pulled in because the sun s gravity is much stronger than the earth s.
2016-05-17 11:24:44 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For something to stay in it's orbit around the earth, there must be a force counteracting the centripetal force of the mass in orbit, otherwise it would fly out of it's orbit, away from the earth.
Just like a weight on a string you rotate. If you let go of the string (no gravity), the weight flies away in a straight line.
2007-09-11 15:34:05 · answer #5 · answered by Batfish 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it is not traveling in a straight line and it is not going away from us. Therefore something is keeping the moon close to earth and not just close, it is keeping it in orbit. You have to realize that before he did work on his law of universal gravitation, he already accepted the fact that every massive body travels in a straight line and force must be used to alter its path from the straight line. So if moon is NOT traveling in a straight line and the moon is massive, there is a force acting on it.
2007-09-11 15:31:38 · answer #6 · answered by The Prince 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Apple hit him in the head.
(A famous story says that Newton uncovered the laws of gravity after being hit on the head by a falling apple. There is no proof that this story is true. However, his assistant John Conduitt later wrote that Newton had said he was inspired to think about gravity after seeing an apple fall in his garden around 1666.)
http://www.answers.com/topic/sir-isaac-newton?cat=technology
2007-09-11 15:31:49 · answer #7 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there was no string tied to the moon by the Earth!!!!
2007-09-11 15:31:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably because if it didnt centrifugal force would just propel it out into space. so something that to counteract centrifugal force.
cattbarf, centripetal force pulls towards the center, centrifugal pulls away.
2007-09-11 15:31:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because he watched an apple fall
2007-09-11 16:11:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋