Compare the gravitational force exerted by the sun and the moon on the earth.Which exerts greater force and by how many times?
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The sun's gravitational force on the Earth is approximately 177 times greater than that of the moon's. To compare the relative gravitational forces of objects on the Earth, you only need to be be concerned about those factors that are different. In this case the masses and the distances between them. The sun's mass is 1.99*10^30 kg and its distance from the Earth is 1.50*10^11 m. The moon's mass is 7.36*10^22 kg and its distance from the Earth is 3.84*10^8 m. Force (sun) ~ (1.99*10^30)/(1.50*10^11)^2 = 8.84*10^7 Force (moon) ~ (7.36*10^22)/(3.84*10^8)^2 = 4.99*10^5 884/4.99 = 177
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