MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: If the moon has a large amount of iron on it does the earth pull on the moo

Date: Tue Jan 13 16:02:04 2004
Posted By: Irene Little, Faculty, CASA, University of Colorado
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1073677890.As
Message:

The composition of the moon is primarily rocks (very similar to the rocks
found in the earth crust and mantle) with possibly a very small iron core.
The evidence is inconclusive if it has or does not have an iron core.  In
any case, the moon and the earth are attracted to each other by
gravitational forces, not by magnetic forces.  The attraction depends only
on the masses of the earth and the moon and inversely on the square of the
distance between the earth and the moon.  Even if the moon and the earth
were completely made of iron but had the same masses and distance between
them as now, then the attraction would be the same as it is now.

Reference:  Any introductory astronomy text, such as

Foundations of Astronomy, 4th ed, by Mike Seeds, p81-83  (Newton's law of
Universal Gravition) and p.452, (cross section of Moon and composition)



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