The mass of moon is 1% mass of earth. The ratio of gravitational pull of earth on moon and that of moon on earth will be
The ratio of gravitational pull between two objects depends on their masses and inversely on the square of their distance.
Class 11 Physics
Gravitation
CBSE EXAM 2024-25
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The gravitational interaction between two bodies, such as the Earth and the Moon, is described by Newton’s law of universal gravitation. According to this principle, every mass exerts a gravitational force on every other mass, and this force is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
In the case of the Earth and the Moon, even though the Moon has only about 1% of the Earth’s mass, the gravitational pull that the Earth exerts on the Moon and the gravitational pull that the Moon exerts on the Earth are equal in magnitude. This equality is a direct consequence of Newton’s third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, the gravitational force that the Earth exerts on the Moon is matched by the gravitational force that the Moon exerts on the Earth, leading to a ratio of 1:1.
This relationship holds true regardless of the difference in masses. While the forces are equal, their effects are different due to the significant difference in mass. The Earth, being much more massive, has a stronger gravitational influence, resulting in the Moon’s orbit around it. However, the underlying principle remains that the gravitational forces between the two bodies are equal.