this post was submitted on 28 May 2024
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Can someone explain how the Earth accelerates towards an object? Is this just because objects with mass attract things?
You got it.
Yes. And that force is proportional to acceleration so it accelerates earth
The gravitational force equation actually takes into account the mass of both objects and their distance. The only reason we can throw out a gravitational constant of 9.81m/s^2 for most objects on Earth is because the mass of the Earth is so large that the mass and/or distance of the other object would have to be equally large in order to make any significant change in that value. Technically though, a bowling ball at sea level falls slightly faster than a bowling ball at the top of Everest, as does a bowling ball and feather from the same height. The reason is more accurately that they are experiencing slightly higher or lower gravitational forces, which cause them to accelerate (in conjunction with all the other forces acting on them).
In the same way that earth has gravity that attracts objects, the objects have gravity that attracts earth. See also Newton's third law, also known as "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." - for the earth to attract something, the earth also has to be attracted with the same force. It's just that the earth has a lot more mass, so the force barely accelerates it.
They are being moved, it is just imperceptible to the human eye.
It is all a matter on how precise you want to be