earths gravity earth’s gravity pulls the moon inward, preventing it from moving in a straight line. but the…

earths gravity earth’s gravity pulls the moon inward, preventing it from moving in a straight line. but the moon keeps moving ahead because of its inertia. without earth’s gravity, the moon would move off in a straight line. similarly, earth orbits the sun because the sun’s gravity pulls on it while earth’s inertia keeps it moving ahead. orbital motion figure 3 predict how would the moon move if earth’s mass increased? notebook enter note here

earths gravity earth’s gravity pulls the moon inward, preventing it from moving in a straight line. but the moon keeps moving ahead because of its inertia. without earth’s gravity, the moon would move off in a straight line. similarly, earth orbits the sun because the sun’s gravity pulls on it while earth’s inertia keeps it moving ahead. orbital motion figure 3 predict how would the moon move if earth’s mass increased? notebook enter note here

Answer

Explanation:

Step1: Recall gravitational force formula

The gravitational force $F = G\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}$, where $G$ is the gravitational - constant, $M$ is the mass of the Earth, $m$ is the mass of the moon, and $r$ is the distance between them.

Step2: Analyze effect of mass increase

If Earth's mass $M$ increases, the gravitational force $F$ between the Earth and the moon increases according to the formula.

Step3: Determine moon's motion

A stronger gravitational force would pull the moon closer to the Earth, and the moon would move in a smaller - radius orbit around the Earth.

Answer:

The moon would move in a smaller - radius orbit around the Earth as the increased mass of the Earth would lead to a stronger gravitational pull on the moon.