Question

What is the reason for earth not moving towards the moon, even though moon attracts the earth ?

• A. The mass of the earth is much larger than the mass of the moon, it accelerates at a rate lesser than the acceleration rate of the moon towards the earth
• B. The mass of the moon is much larger than the mass of the earth, it accelerates at a rate lesser than the acceleration rate of the earth towards the moon
• C. The mass of the earth is similar to that of the moon, and both accelerate at a same rate
• D. Both experience unequal gravitational forces from each other

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

The mass of the earth is much larger than the mass of the moon, it accelerates at a rate lesser than the acceleration rate of the moon towards the earth

Answer 2

Earth and the moon experience equal magnitude o f gravitational force due to each other
Acceleration of moon, $a_{m}=\frac{F}{M_{m}}$
Acceleration of earth, $a_{e} =\frac{F}{M_{e}}$
Since $M_{e} > > \, M_{m}$ so $a_{e} << a_{m}$