The rotation of the Moon is tidally locked to its orbital motion around Earth because
A) the Moon's orbit is elliptical.
B) Earth's orbit around the Sun is elliptical.
C) the Sun is far more massive than the Moon.
D) Earth is far more massive than the Moon.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tidal locking occurs when the gravitational force between two objects causes one to always show the same face to the other as it orbits. In this case, the gravitational force between the Earth and Moon has caused the Moon's rotation to become locked to its orbital motion around Earth. This is because Earth is significantly more massive than the Moon, so its gravitational force is much stronger and able to slow down the Moon's rotation over time until it becomes tidally locked. The ellipticity of either the Moon's orbit or Earth's orbit around the Sun is not relevant to the phenomenon of tidal locking.

The Rotation of the Moon Is Tidally Locked to Its