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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: astromusic1 on 13/07/2013 14:47:12

Title: Feeling the moon's pull
Post by: astromusic1 on 13/07/2013 14:47:12

If the pull of the moon is SO STRONG that it causes the ebb and flow of the earth's tides which account for trillions of tons of water, why can't I feel the pull of the moon?

Title: Re: Feeling the moon's pull
Post by: RD on 19/07/2013 06:18:02

Quote from: astromusic1 on 13/07/2013 14:47:12

If the pull of the moon is SO STRONG that it causes the ebb and flow of the earth's tides which account for trillions of tons of water, why can't I feel the pull of the moon?

The moon's gravitational force on a individual person is small ...

The force of the moon on a single person is about 0.0025 newtons =>  so about 0.25g (a quarter the weight of a banknote).

Quote

... an object’s weight [on Earth] will be 0.000035 percent less when the moon is overhead than when the moon is on the horizon

http://www.csicop.org/SI/show/why_we_are_unmoved_as_oceans_ebb_and_flow/