If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then when you jump, and gravity pulls you back down, it also pulls the Earth up to you. Why can't you see this motion?

Question

Physics

Jagger Silva

15 February, 19:08

If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then when you jump, and gravity pulls you back down, it also pulls the Earth up to you. Why can't you see this motion?

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Answers (1)

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Mckinley Reed · Answer 1

When two objects are gravitationally attracted, the forces

on both of them are equal. As the objects move straight

toward each other, then, just as we'd expect, the object

with the greater mass has the smaller acceleration and

moves a smaller distance by the time they collide, while

the object with a smaller mass has the greater acceleration

and moves a greater distance by the time they collide.

The Earth's mass is roughly approximately something like 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times as much as YOUR mass,

so the difference in acceleration and distance moved before

the collision is really substantial.