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

3749 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

In most transformers, why is the power output is less than the power input.


Describe an experiment to determine the spring constant of a spring? Your answer should include any causes of inaccuracy.


Define the term ultrasound wave


The teacher quickly inverts the can containing boiling water into a bowl of cold water, as shown in the diagram. When the can is inverted in the cold water, the can collapses. Use ideas about particles and pressure to explain why the can collapses.


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