Why Does the Moon Orbit Earth?

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·Nov 10, 2024

Now tell me what does the moon do? Uh, the moon orbits the Earth. I know it. Let's do an orbit. Can we do an orbit? Okay, so go like this. I'm guessing, I'm guessing around, around. If you will, you spinning it? Are you going to... doesn't it stay? Isn't it kind of like the same face is facing the whole time?

Right, so kind of. But should I be doing like— you have to twist it as well? I have to twist it a little bit as it goes around? That's it exactly! Sure, sure. Booyah me!

All right, now I want to know why the moon does that. Um, was it the gravitational pull of the Earth? Cuz it's like a floaty rock in space and the Earth goes, "Come here!" But then doesn't ever come there. It just kind of goes around and round.

The Earth puts a gravitational force on the moon. The two gravitate, 'm. Because you've got the Earth's gravity, and it being the greater object is pulling the moon's size into its orbit. It's obviously got some kind of attraction to the Earth.

What kind of attraction? Probably gravitational, I'm guessing. I'm just trying to check here— you're telling me that the Moon is attracted to the Earth?

Yes. Yeah, I guess so. Yeah. But it keeps spinning around 'cause it's moving at a certain speed so it never actually reaches the Earth. It just keeps coming.

Ask me anything with Sal Khan: #GivingTuesdayNow | Homeroom with Sal

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Why Does the Moon Orbit Earth?

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