If the moon were twice as massive, would the attractive force of Earth on the moon be twice as large?
Yes
No
What about the attractive force of the moon on Earth?
Yes
No
To determine the answers to these questions, we need to understand the relationship between mass and gravitational force. Gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of the objects involved.
1. For the first question, "If the moon were twice as massive, would the attractive force of Earth on the moon be twice as large?", the answer is YES.
According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force between two objects is given by F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between the centers of the two objects. Since the mass of the moon is squared in the formula, if the moon's mass is doubled, the attractive force between the Earth and the moon will also be doubled.
2. For the second question, "What about the attractive force of the moon on Earth?", the answer is YES.
The law of universal gravitation states that the gravitational force between two objects is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. So, if the moon's mass is doubled, the attractive force of the moon on Earth will also be doubled.
Therefore, the attractive force of Earth on the moon and the attractive force of the moon on Earth will both be twice as large if the moon's mass is doubled.