Question

Evaluate the following as true or false. If the Earth shrank in size, but all other factors remained the same, all of its satellites, including the Moon, would fly off into space.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

b) False

Answer 2

thx =)

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

To determine if the statement is true or false, we need to understand the concept of gravitational force between celestial bodies. Gravitational force depends on the mass and distance between objects.

If the Earth were to shrink in size while keeping its mass the same, the distance between the Earth and its satellites would decrease. However, the mass of the Earth would also remain the same, including the mass of the Moon.

The gravitational force between the Earth and its satellites is determined by the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. If the Earth were to shrink, the distance between the Earth and its satellites would decrease, but not enough for the gravitational force to drop significantly.

Therefore, the statement is false. If the Earth shrank in size while all other factors remained the same, the gravitational force between the Earth and its satellites, including the Moon, would not weaken to the point where they would fly off into space.