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His thought process is correct, but his "pen on the Moon" model is missing vital element (that Moon is in free fall/orbiting Earth). If Moon was hanging on a s
by dennisgorelik 13y ago
His thought process is correct, but his "pen on the Moon" model is missing vital element (that Moon is in free fall/orbiting Earth).
If Moon was hanging on a stick connected to Earth (instead of orbiting Earth) and Earth gravity forces on a pen were stronger than Moon's gravity forces, then pen would fall in Earth.
Of course you and I know that there are no such strong materials for that Earth-Moon stick, but that's yet another level of complexity that most people don't have to know about.
- Dylan16807 13y ago>If Moon was hanging on a stick connected to Earth (instead of orbiting Earth) and Earth gravity forces on a pen were stronger than Moon's gravity forces, then pen would fall in Earth. Technically that's true, but it would require a completely different scenario. Earth's gravity is miniscule at that altitude. For the moon to have a weaker force it would have to be so small that it would likely not even qualify as a moon any more.