If the moon attracts the earth, why does the earth not move towards the moon?

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asked Oct 14, 2017 in Physics by jisu zahaan (28,760 points) 26 373 801

If the moon attracts the earth, why does the earth not move towards the moon?

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answered Oct 14, 2017 by sforrest072 (157,439 points) 60 409 932

The Earth and the moon experience equal gravitational forces from each other. However, the mass of the Earth is much larger than the mass of the moon. Hence, it accelerates at a rate lesser than the acceleration rate of the moon towards the Earth. For this reason, the Earth does not move towards the moon. 

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