Question

Which force governs the motion of the moon around the earth?

Answer 1

1. An object that is traveling in a curved or circular path must continuously be changing its velocity and direction at every point in the circle.
2. The force that makes the object travel along a curved path is centripetal force.
3. Centripetal force always acts along the radial direction towards the center of the corresponding circular path.
4. The moon travels around the earth in a circular orbit with a constant velocity. So, there must be a centripetal force acting on the moon.
5. This centripetal force is provided by the gravitational pull of the earth.