What would be the path of the Moon if somehow all gravitational forces on it vanished to zero?
no force means no acceleration, so constant velocity.
THANKS DARLING
If all gravitational forces on the Moon were to vanish completely, it would no longer be bound to the gravitational pull of the Earth. As a result, the Moon would continue moving in a straight line with a constant speed in accordance with Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia. In this scenario, the Moon's path would be a straight line, rather than a curved orbit around the Earth.
To understand why the Moon would follow a straight line, we can consider the interplay of gravitational forces and centripetal force in its usual orbit. In the absence of any external forces, the Moon's momentum would cause it to continue moving in a straight line tangent to its original orbit at any given point.
However, it's important to note that this hypothetical scenario is not physically possible, as the Moon is constantly influenced by the gravitational force of the Earth. Gravitational forces between celestial bodies are fundamental aspects of their interaction and cannot be simply "switched off."