The Earth and the Moon orbit about a point that is

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering the Sun–Earth, Earth–Moon, or any two-body orbital system, the two bodies orbit around a shared balance point called the center of mass (or barycenter) of the system. This point lies along the line connecting the two masses and is the unique point about which both bodies simultaneously orbit

Option 1: 'midway between them' — This would imply equal masses, placing the center of mass exactly at the midpoint. In the Earth–Moon system, the Earth is far more massive than the Moon, so the barycenter is not at the geometric halfway point.

Option 2: 'quite close to the Moon' — Since the Moon is much less massive than Earth, the barycenter is not near the Moon; it shifts toward the heavier body. It would be extremely unlikely for the center of mass to be close to the Moon in this classical two-body scenario.

Option 3: 'their mutual center of mass' — This correctly describes the fundamental mechanics: both bodies orbit a common center of mass determined by their masses and separation. In the Earth–Moon system, the barycenter lies inside the Earth but not exactly at its center, reflecting the mass ratio and distance between the bodies.

Option 4: 'not far from the Earth' — While the barycenter is indeed closer to Earth than to the Moon due to the Earth’s larger mass, saying 'not far from the Earth' is vague and imprecise; it does not capture the essential concept that the motion occurs about the center of mass, which is the precise pivot of the mutual orbits.

Option 5: 'about each other’s centers' — This wording is misleading; the bodies do not orbit around each other’s centers as fixed points in space. Rather, each body orbits the common center of mass, which itself is derived from the system’s mass distribution, not simply around the other body’s center.

Pulling these observations together, the concept that best fits the physical description of the Earth–Moon orbit is the mutual center of mass around which both bodies revolve. The explanation hinges on the mass ratio and the resulting barycenter position, which is the core idea behind orbital dynamics in a two-body system.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Quiz 2 - 2025 Oct 10

The Earth and the Moon orbit about a point that is

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