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A short answerThe Force Of Gravity, which acts between the mass of the Sun and the mass of the Earth, which is exactly balanced by the Earth's Centrifugal Force.

The overall net result is that the Earth moves around the Sun just as if it were tethered to the Sun by a very strong elastic chain!

A longer answerThe Earth stays in a near-circular elliptical orbit around the Sun because the net gravitational force acting between the mass of the Sun and the mass of the Earth is effectively a constant centripetal force which keeps the Earth in its orbit.

If the Earth were stationary, the much greater gravitational force of the Sun would cause the Earth to "fall" into the Sun, where it would be completely absorbed and would simply increase the mass of the Sun.

The overall net result is that the Earth moves around the Sun just as if it were tethered to the Sun by a very strong elastic chain!

There is a theory that the centripetal force - which constantly pulls the Earth towards the Sun - is perfectly balanced by an equal force, but opposite in direction, called the "centrifugal force". That is an imaginary force created by the action of the Earth moving around its orbit. The theory goes on to say that, in the absence of any force of gravity, the Earth's centrifugal force would make it fly off into space instead of traveling in its orbit around the Sun. However, if gravity did not exist, there would be no forces acting on the mass of the Earth to cause it to move in any direction at all.

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Related Questions

What force is responsible for the moon orbiting around the earth and earth orbiting around the sun?

The force of gravity causes the moon to orbit the Earth, and the Earth to orbit the sun.


What is in orbit with the Earth?

The moon. The earth is in orbit around the sun, but the moon goes with it, orbiting the earth directly and orbiting the sun indirectly.


What force keeps earth in orbit around the sun?

The force of gravity is the only force acting to keep bodies in orbit. It is the inertia (which is not a force) of these orbiting bodies that keeps them from actually being pulled together completely. Gravity and inerta act in "balance" to allow orbiting bodies to continue to move the way they do.


Space orbiting telescopes are found where?

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Is the force that makes an apple fall the same force that keeps the earth orbiting around the sun?

Yes - the same gravity that makes the apple fall from the tree - keeps the earth in orbit around the sun.


What force keeps the moon in orbit around the sun?

The force that keeps the moon in orbit around the sun is the gravitational force between the sun and the moon. This force causes the moon to continuously fall towards the sun but its orbital motion prevents it from colliding with the sun.


What force keeps a moon from orbiting a planet?

The Moon is orbiting a planet; It is orbiting the Earth. The velocity /acceleration of the Moon and the gravitational pull between Earth and Moon are in balance, so the Moon remains orbiting the Earth. Similarly the Earth and Moon , as a binary system, orbit the Sun , and the acceleration and gravitational forces are in balance. So none of us collide.


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The force which impels an orbiting object out of its orbit is called the centripetal force.


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Yes; the sun's gravity keeps the Earth orbiting around it.


Is an orbiting astronaut subject to zero gravitational force?

An orbiting astronaut experiences a gravitational force that keeps them moving in a curved path around a celestial body, such as a planet or moon. This force is what causes the astronaut to stay in orbit. It is not that there is zero gravitational force, but rather that the force is balanced with the astronaut's velocity so they remain in a stable orbit.


Elliptical orbit around the sun due to what force?

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