INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

Science & Technology General Science
Q.

Consider the following statements: 

1. The motion of the moon around the earth is due to the centrifugal force. 

2. The moon rotates around its axis due to the gravitational pull of the earth. 

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are NOT correct?

Explanation:

ANSWER: (C) 

  • Statement 1 is not correct.

The motion of the moon around the earth is due to the centripetal force. The centripetal force is provided by the force of attraction of the earth. If there were no such force, the moon would pursue a uniform straight-line motion. The force that causes this acceleration and keeps the body moving along the circular path is acting towards the centre. This force is called the centripetal (meaning ‘centre-seeking’) force.

  • Statement 2 is not correct.

The moon orbits the Earth once every 27.322 days. It also takes approximately 27 days for the moon to rotate once on its axis. As a result, the moon does not seem to be spinning but appears to observers from Earth to be keeping almost perfectly still. Scientists call this synchronous rotation. The side of the moon that perpetually faces Earth is known as the near side. The gravitation pull of the earth has no role in rotation of the moon around its own axis.

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