force on pod proportional to mass of object/distance squared
mass of earth >>mass of moon
therefore distance from moon must be smaller to get same force magnitude from each.
Somewhere between Earth and the Moon, gravity from these two bodies on a space pod would canel. Is it closer to the Earth or the Moon? why?
2 answers
It is closer to the moon because the moon has less mass. For the two forces to be equal and opposite, you must have
Mearth/Rearth^2 = Mmoon/Rmoon^2
Therefore Rearth/Rmoon
= sqrt(Mearth/Moon)
which is greater than 1
Mearth/Rearth^2 = Mmoon/Rmoon^2
Therefore Rearth/Rmoon
= sqrt(Mearth/Moon)
which is greater than 1