Explain why the moon is not pulled away from the Earth by the Sun.

The force of gravity decreases very rapidly with distance, since force is inversely proportional to distance. The Sun is much further away from the Moon than the Earth, so its gravitational attraction isn't strong enough to overcome the pull of the Earth's gravity, despite the Sun having greater mass. 

AP
Answered by Alicia P. Physics tutor

3678 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

A pendulum has a frequency of 0.80 Hz, calculate the periodic time of the pendulum.


When should you use the SUVAT equations?


Do batteries contain current, which comes out when they are in a circuit?


Describe the process of beta-minus decay. What happens to the mass number and atomic number when alpha, beta, and gamma decay occurs?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning