Book 1, Question 93 · Video
Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down? It's Falling Around Us!
Earth's gravity pulls on the Moon all the time, so why does the Moon not crash into us? The Moon is also zooming sideways very fast, and its sideways speed is just right. Instead o
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why doesn't the Moon fall down?
The Big Idea
Earth's gravity pulls on the Moon all the time. So why doesn't the Moon crash into us? Because the Moon is also zooming sideways, super fast! It's always falling around Earth, not into it. Let's see how!
Earth Pulls the Moon
Number one: Earth pulls the Moon. Earth has gravity, an invisible pull that attracts the Moon toward it, all the time. It's the same pull that makes a dropped ball fall to the ground.
The Moon Is Moving Sideways Fast
Number two: the Moon is moving sideways, fast. The Moon zooms along at about one kilometer every second! This sideways motion keeps it from falling straight into Earth.
That Fall Becomes an Orbit
Number three: that fall becomes an orbit. The Moon is always falling toward Earth, but its sideways speed is just right. So instead of crashing, it keeps falling around Earth, in a never-ending path called an orbit!
Falling Around Earth
Let's watch it happen! The orange arrow is gravity, pulling the Moon toward Earth. The green arrow is the Moon's sideways speed. Together, they bend the Moon's path into a big circle-ish loop. If the Moon were slower, it would fall in. If it were faster, it would fly away!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! The Moon is falling around us, not into us! It's about 384,000 kilometers away. It takes about twenty-seven days to circle Earth once. And the Moon drifts about four centimeters farther from Earth every year!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Compare it to Earth orbiting the Sun. Earth is pulled by the Sun's gravity, but our fast sideways motion keeps us in orbit too. Same idea, huge scale! Now try this outside with a grown-up. Tie a soft ball to a string, and gently swing it in a circle. The string pulls in, like gravity. Let go, and the ball flies off sideways! What does that tell you about orbits?
Outro
The Moon is always falling, and always missing. Now that's an amazing orbit! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!