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

3661 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Describe what red shift is and why i provides evidence for the Big Bang Theory.


Describe how making a saucepan black and adding fins will help heat food up faster


Describe the generator effect and its use within transformers (6 marks)


In a doppler shift why does a moving source show no increase in speed of the mechanical waves emitted?


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