To determine the date on which the gravitational force between Earth and the moon is the greatest, we need to understand that the gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two objects. This means that as the distance decreases, the gravitational force increases.
Here are the given distances between the moon and Earth on different dates in 2013:
- January 10: 360,048 km
- April 15: 404,863 km
- September 15: 367,389 km
- December 19: 406,276 km
To find the date with the greatest gravitational force, we need to identify the date with the shortest distance between the moon and Earth.
Let's compare the given distances:
- January 10: 360,048 km
- April 15: 404,863 km
- September 15: 367,389 km
- December 19: 406,276 km
From these values, we see that the shortest distance is on January 10, with a distance of 360,048 km.
Therefore, the gravitational force between Earth and the moon is the greatest on January 10.
