Question

The Moon and Earth rotate about their common center of mass, which is located about 4700 km from the center of Earth. (This is 1690 km below the surface.)

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

b) False The Moon and Earth do not rotate about their common center of mass. Instead, they both orbit around a common center of mass, which is called the barycenter.

Step-by-step explanation:

b) False The Moon and Earth do not rotate about their common center of mass. Instead, they both orbit around a common center of mass, which is called the barycenter. The barycenter is the point around which the two celestial bodies orbit, influenced by their respective masses and distances. In the case of the Earth and Moon, the barycenter is located inside the Earth but not at its center. The actual distance of the barycenter from the center of Earth is around 4,700 km below the surface, as mentioned. This dynamic interplay results in the Moon and Earth orbiting a common point influenced by their gravitational interactions.