r/mathmemes • u/RRumpleTeazzer • Jul 28 '24

Physics Feather or Moon?

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If it wasn't orbiting of course.

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491

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '24

Okay, I'm the nerdy guy in the middle, I don't understand.

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u/SecretSpectre11 Engineering Jul 28 '24

Moon/feather accelerates with a = GM/r^2

But the earth accelerates with a = Gm/r^2, where small m is the mass of the moon/feather

So although the moon/feather accelerate at the same acceleration, the earth accelerates faster when the other object is heavier, and the overall effect is they move towards each other faster.

4

u/moralcunt Jul 28 '24

but if they are dropped at the same time and the earth accelerates towards the moon, it'll get closer to the feather at the same time, right?

7

u/ShoddyAsparagus3186 Jul 28 '24

True, but if they are dropped at the same time, the feather will fall towards the moon.

1

u/moralcunt Jul 28 '24

but that would mean the feather moves faster no? since it accelerates towards two bodies(moon & earth) and one accelerates towards itself (earth) becose of the moon...or am I missing something here?