Suppose that the gravitational force by Earth on the moon suddenly shut off. How would the moon then move?
A) It would move directly outward, away from Earth.
B) It would move straight ahead in a straight line, at constant speed.
C) It would slow down and stop.
D) It would go into a larger circular orbit.
E) It would move directly inward, toward Earth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the gravitational force by Earth on the moon suddenly shut off, the moon would continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed due to its inertia, as there would be no force acting on it to change its state of motion.

Suppose That the Gravitational Force by Earth on the Moon