Question

the moon orbits our earth. the opposite would never be true: the earth would never orbit the moon. one reason is due to the force of gravity. the object ____ has a greater gravitational force and that determines what satellites orbit around it. a with the greater mass b containing mostly water c with a thicker atmosphere d with the greater diameter

Explanation:

According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force \(F = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^{2}}\) (\(G\) is the gravitational constant, \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) are the masses of two objects, \(r\) is the distance between the centers of the two objects). When considering the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon, the object with a greater mass (\(m\)) will exert a relatively greater gravitational - pull. Since the Earth has a much greater mass than the Moon, it has a greater gravitational force, which makes the Moon orbit the Earth. Options B (containing mostly water), C (with a thicker atmosphere) and D (with the greater diameter) are not the key factors that determine the gravitational force in this context.

Answer:

A. with the greater mass